Photo Credit: Ian Molesworth
A current resurgence of interest in Mohawk poet, writer and performer Pauline Johnson due to her shortlisting as the possible first woman on a Canadian banknote (the $100 bill) has made it timely that ”Flint and Feather: The Life and Times of E. Pauline Johnson, Tekahionwake ” has just become Guelph Ontario's new must-read for 2016. Panelist Brenda Lewis, a publicist and acclaimed jazz / roots vocalist defended Charlotte Gray’s award-winning and best-selling biography of Johnson in Guelph Reads 2016, garnering it the top applause from the enthusiastic participating audience.
On Wednesday evening, May 25, the fundraising organization Friends of Guelph Public Library presented their popular annual version of CBC’s “Canada Reads” at the library’s downtown main branch. Also on the local celebrities panel with Lewis were city councillor Phil Allt championing Michael Crummey’s “Galore”, head of policy / research for the Ontario Good Roads Association Scott Butler with “The Heart Goes Last” by Margaret Atwood, and, Guelph Wellington Seniors Association president Judith Carson defending “The Long Way Home” by mystery writer Louise Penny. It was well-moderated by Marva Wisdom, Chair of the Guelph YMCA-YWCA Board of Directors and founding president of the Guelph Black Heritage Society/Heritage Hall
After this spirited, educational and entertaining event and surprised by her win in what she considered to be a close competition, Lewis emphatically stated that she is very grateful to Charlotte Gray for breathing life into Pauline's timeless story and the eras in which she lived: “She made Pauline real to me.” She also said “I'm very glad to have won because I absolutely loved my chosen book and am passionate about sharing Pauline's essential story - that of a First Nations, Canadian and early feminist heroine.”
Lewis is no stranger to Pauline Johnson, so when asked to be on the Guelph Reads panel and to select a book, Gray’s biography was a natural choice. It had been on her must-read list for years. Almost two decades ago an old friend gave Lewis a 1917 edition of Johnson’s “Flint and Feather” poetry collection in hopes that melodies would ensue. It turned out that Pauline became a longtime muse to Lewis, with her putting two of her poems to music – one “The Birds’ Lullaby”, a lilting folk waltz (which she sang for the audience at the end of Guelph Reads) of which she was asked to perform at both Federation of Ontario Naturalists, and, Grand River Conservation Area special functions. Currently, as the result of new research during her reading of Gray’s book, she is currently working on a swinging version of “A Toast (to Vancouver)” from Johnson’s “Canadian Born” collection.
More about ”Flint and Feather: The Life and Times of Pauline Johnson, Tekahionwake” at: http://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443403030/flint-and-feather
Charlotte Gray at: http://www.charlottegray.ca . Friends of Guelph Public Library and Guelph Reads at: http://friendsguelphlibrary.ca/guelph-reads and Brenda Lewis at: http://www.brendalewis.ca
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