[{"id":"8306","cataloger_name":["Leah,Van Dyk"],"partnerInstitution":["University of Calgary"],"collection_source_collection":["Alden Nowlan fonds"],"source_collection_label":["Alden Nowlan fonds"],"collection_contributing_unit":["University of Calgary, Archives and Special Collections"],"source_collection_uri":[""],"collection_image_url":[""],"collection_source_collection_id":[""],"persistent_url":["https://searcharchives.ucalgary.ca/alden-nowlan-fonds"],"item_title":["Poetry Reading at U.N.B. 1979 Writer’s Workshop"],"item_title_source":["Transcribed from the artifact"],"item_language":["English"],"item_production_context":["Classroom recording"],"item_identifiers":["[3.1.2]"],"rights":["In Copyright (InC)"],"rights_notes":["Enters Public Domain at the end of 2029"],"creator_names":["Nowlan, Alden"],"creator_names_search":["Nowlan, Alden"],"creators":["[{\"url\":\"http://viaf.org/viaf/61671170\",\"name\":\"Nowlan, Alden\",\"dates\":\"1933-1983\",\"notes\":\"\",\"nation\":[],\"role\":[\"Author\",\"Performer\"]}]"],"contributors":["[{\"url\":\"\",\"name\":\"\",\"dates\":\"\",\"notes\":\"\",\"nation\":[],\"role\":[]}]"],"Performance_Date":[1979],"material_description":["[{\"side\":\"A and B\",\"image\":\"\",\"other\":\"\",\"extent\":\"1/8 inch\",\"AV_types\":\"Audio\",\"tape_brand\":\"Concertape\",\"generations\":\"\",\"Conservation\":\"\",\"equalization\":\"\",\"playback_mode\":\"\",\"playing_speed\":\"\",\"sound_quality\":\"Good\",\"recording_type\":\"Analogue\",\"storage_capacity\":\"\",\"physical_condition\":\"Good\",\"track_configuration\":\"\",\"material_designation\":\"Cassette\",\"physical_composition\":\"Magnetic Tape\",\"accompanying_material\":\"\",\"other_physical_description\":\"\"}]"],"material_designations":["Cassette"],"physical_compositions":["Magnetic Tape"],"recording_type":["Analogue"],"AV_type":["Audio"],"digital_description":["[{\"file_url\":\"\",\"file_path\":\"\",\"filename\":\"AN_523_92.21.3.1.2\",\"channel_field\":\"\",\"sample_rate\":\"\",\"duration\":\"T00:43:43\",\"precision\":\"\",\"size\":\"80.05 MB\",\"bitrate\":\"\",\"encoding\":\"\",\"contents\":\"\",\"notes\":\"\",\"title\":\"\",\"credit\":\"\",\"caption\":\"\",\"content_type\":\"\",\"featured\":\"\",\"public_access_url\":\"\"}]"],"Dates":["[{\"date\":\"1979-07\",\"type\":\"Performance Date\",\"notes\":\"Dates taken from container and/or accompanying material.\",\"source\":\"\"}]"],"Location":["[{\"url\":\"https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ui/details.html?osmtype=W&osmid=19797954&class=amenity\",\"venue\":\"University of New Brunswick\",\"notes\":\"\",\"address\":\"3, Bailey Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada\",\"latitude\":\"[45.945530250000004]\",\"longitude\":\"[-66.64018313486694]\"}]"],"Address":["3, Bailey Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada"],"Venue":["University of New Brunswick"],"content_notes":["- [00:00:00] Introduction of Alden Nowlan by male speaker. This workshop occurring during Alden Nowlan’s time as Writer in Residence at UNB.\n- [00:02:05] Alden Nowlan begins speaking\n- [00:06:36] Prefatory remarks, one of Alden Nowlan’s favourite poems. “A Picnic in Times Square”\n- [00:11:00] Prefatory remarks on zoos, Alden Nowlan finds them depressing places but this tiger struck him as different. “A Tiger in the Dublin Zoo”\n- [00:12:43] “He Grows in Understanding”\no - [00:13:20] Laughter and clapping at end of poem\n- [00:13:25] Prefatory remarks on how this poem is special to him and the epistolic form, written for his friend George Frederick Clarke. “A Poem for George Frederick Clarke”\no Reads final line as “and yes, / such reticence” instead of “yes, / and such reticence”\n- [00:19:18] Prefatory remarks on everyday people hijacking airplanes and his sympathy. “Night Flight from Montreal”\no Reads final line as “I must ask the police what / will happen to my luggage” instead of “Asking the police what / will happen to my luggage”\n- [00:21:15] Prefatory remarks on strange experience of being the subject of a documentary film; a new experience for him, he had naively assume that the camera would follow you around etc. Actually wanted you to perform as yourself, which is very difficult. “On Being the Subject of a Documentary”\n- [00:25:40] Prefatory remarks. “A Very Common Prescription”\n- [00:28:10] Prefatory remarks, trying to capture something of the power of expression of so-called ordinary people in very extraordinary situations. “The Red Wool Shirt”\n- [00:30:18] Prefatory remarks, it’s a found poem, something Alden Nowlan says he doesn’t do very often. “The Carpenter’s Misfortunes”\n- [00:31:45] Prefatory remarks on fifth Prime Minster of Canada and his being forgotten. “Election Song”\n- [00:32:58] Prefatory remarks on re-encountering people as an adult. “In the Blood”\n- [00:35:26] Prefatory remarks, wrote this poem a number of years ago and is recently revisiting and revising. In 1915, battle in a town in Belgium where poison gas was used for the first time by the Nazis. It appeared like something out of science fiction. Started to write this poem on Remembrance Day. “Ypres: 1915” \no A few differences from published version; Alden Nowlan himself acknowledges that he is working on its revision. Some removals or additions of words/phrases.\no Frenchmen leaving: “brandishing their swords, / weeping / for the dishonour of it all”\no The fisherman’s dialect is more colloquial: “and yup” instead of “yes”\no Billy MacNally: in this reading is specifically “from Britain Street from the South End of Saint John, New Brunswick”\n\n“I, Icarus” – “Picnic” published in Bread, Wine and Salt\n“Beggars” – “On Events” published in Between Tears and Laughter\n“Night Flight” – “Documentary” published in I’m a Stranger Here Myself\n“Prescription” – “In the Blood” published in Smoked Glass\n“Ypres: 1915” published in The Mysterious Naked Man\n"],"contents":["Alden Nowlan\n[00:02:55]\nReads \"I, Icarus\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:04:36]\nReads \"Daughter of Zion\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:06:36]\nReads \"A Picnic in Times Square\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:07:21]\nReads \"The Fresh-Ploughed Hill\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:08:18]\nReads \"The Beggars of Dublin\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:11:00]\nReads \"A Tiger in the Dublin Zoo\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:12:43]\nReads \"He Grows in Understanding\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:13:25]\nReads \"A Poem for George Frederick Clarke\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:16:05]\nReads \"Cornflowers\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:17:16]\nReads \"On Events of Varying Importance\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:19:18]\nReads \"Night Flight from Montreal\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:21:15]\nReads \"On Being the Subject of a Documentary\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:25:40]\nReads \"A Very Common Prescription\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:28:10]\nReads \"The Red Wool Shirt\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:30:18]\nReads \"The Carpenter’s Misfortunes\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:31:45]\nReads \"Election Song\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:32:58]\nReads \"In the Blood\".\nAlden Nowlan\n[00:35:26]\nReads \"Ypres: 1915\"."],"Note":["[{\"note\":\"\",\"type\":\"\"}]"],"Related_works":["[{\"url\":\"\",\"citation\":\"Bread, Wine and Salt (1967), Smoked Glass (1977), Between Tears and Laughter (1971), The Mysterious Naked Man (1969), I'm a Stranger Here Myself (1974)\"}]"],"_version_":1853670558436163586,"timestamp":"2026-01-07T15:00:02.646Z","score":2.5890832}]