Island Studies Press launches new book of poetry from Jane Ledwell
In the latest title from Island Studies Press, poet Jane Ledwell explores the life of writer and activist Katherine Hughes. Return of the Wild Goose launches Thursday, April 4, at 7:00 pm in the Carriage House of Beaconsfield Historic House in Charlottetown. Ledwell will be joined by Irish concertina player Gormlaith Maynes, accompanied by Jesse Périard on guitar. All are welcome.
Set against the intimate relief of a PEI landscape, these poems are inspired by what is known—and unknown—about Hughes’ contradictory life as a Catholic teacher in Mohawk territory; a journalist working alongside Canada’s first-wave feminists and suffragettes; the first public archivist of Alberta; and finally, as a zealous propagandist for the Irish cause. This (auto)biographical dialogue between Ledwell and Hughes offers the reader a fierce remembrance of a PEI radical.
What made Hughes a trailblazer but not a feminist? An archivist who kept so few records of her own? What made her overthrow ideas of empire for Irish republican nationalism? Return of the Wild Goose remembers (and maybe fights a bit) with a fascinating historical Prince Edward Island woman so that she won’t be forgotten.
Jane Ledwell is a writer and editor who lives in Charlottetown. She has published two previous collections of poetry, Last Tomato and Bird Calls: The Island Responds. She also co-author of Elaine Harrison: I Am an Island That Dreams and co-editor of two books of academic writing about L. M. Montgomery. Ledwell currently serves as executive director of the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women.
Please join Island Studies Press and Jane Ledwell in celebrating this new book. For more information about the book or the launch, please contact Bren at ispstaff@upei.ca or call (902) 566-0386.
The University of Prince Edward Island prides itself on people, excellence, and impact and is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With roots stemming from two founding institutions—Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University—UPEI has a reputation for academic excellence, research innovation, and creating positive impacts locally, nationally, and internationally. UPEI is the only degree granting institution in the province and is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.
