I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to the donors of the Dean of Arts Development Fund (DADF). I am an undergraduate student in Honours English Literature and Political Science at 9I制作厂免费, with a particular interest in questions of place and local history. Passionate about Montreal鈥檚 unique poetic history, I was drawn to Poetry Matters due to its emphasis on poetic community and networks of exploration. An initiative based out of 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 English Department, Poetry Matters aims at fostering conversations surrounding the history of poetry at 9I制作厂免费 and in Montreal.
Alongside my co-intern, Sean Chen, I鈥檝e spent the summer researching the poet Patrick Anderson, who taught in Montreal during the 1940s. Through 9I制作厂免费鈥檚 Rare Books and Special Collections, much of our initial work focused on five notebooks of unpublished draft materials from Anderson鈥檚 sabbatical in Saint-Sauveur. Each notebook contained a series of new discoveries, from poems and stories to intriguing drawings in pen, pencil, and watercolor. Under the supervision of Dr. Miranda Hickman, the director of Poetry Matters and Professor of English at 9I制作厂免费, Sean and I learned about archival research and the role of the little magazines Preview and First Statement in Canadian modernism.
A snapshot of the table of contents Sean and I created for navigating Anderson鈥檚 notebooks.
A highlight of my internship was a trip taken to Ottawa鈥檚 Library and Archives Canada, to access the Patrick John McAllister Anderson Fonds. For the first time, beyond the notebooks, Sean and I were able to sift through Patrick Anderson鈥檚 scrapbook (a wealth of pictures from his life), his journals and further draft materials. The sheer span of the archival material left me surprised and moved. In fading green cloth, one notebook was from 1923, when Patrick Anderson would have been eight years old, and contained calligraphy lessons and childhood drawings. These experiences in the archive opened my mind to the possibilities of such research. Having spent much of the summer reading Anderson鈥檚 published poetry and autobiographies, gaining access to such an intimate record shifted my perspective on our work.
Time spent in Ottawa, at Library of Archives Canada, parsing Anderson鈥檚 journals and notebooks.
Alongside archival research, Sean and I had the opportunity to participate in conversations with researchers and experts in the field. In early June, we met with Dr. Brian Trehearne to discuss Canadian Modernism and Anderson鈥檚 role in Montreal. We also had the opportunity to speak with Gwendolyn Owens, director of the Visual Arts Collection at 9I制作厂免费, to learn about her research on Marian Dale Scott, a Canadian painter working in Montreal during Anderson鈥檚 time at 9I制作厂免费. In late June, we spoke with Dr. Robert Lecker about the context of poetry at 9I制作厂免费. I am very grateful to those who took the time to speak with us about their work and to share their insights.
This summer, my experience as an intern with Poetry Matters has shown me the value of archival research, which provided a unique window into Anderson鈥檚 published writing. Beyond work in the archive, Sean and I were able to conduct our research outside the deadlines and constraints of the classroom. Through this experience, we鈥檝e witnessed a different form of research, one which is slower, more deliberate. The final opportunity to craft our own personal commentary on Anderson, drawn from months of reading and questions, has been a truly rewarding experience.
Some of the books which were invaluable in independent research on Patrick Anderson, including his poetry collections The Colour as Naked and Return to Canada.
I would like to thank Professor Hickman for her guidance and remarkable insight throughout this research experience. As a recipient of the Dean Of Arts Development Fund. I would also like to thank Dean of Arts Prof. Lisa Shapiro and the Arts Internship Office for their generous support, without which this internship would not have been possible.
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