Summer 2008

Dry Water tells the story of Donald Strand, from the time of his arrival as a ten-year-old orphan at his relatives’ Manitoba farm in 1890 to his apogee as a successful farmer. It recounts the crises he faces during a troubled marriage and the great stock market crash of 1929. His life parallels the growth and development of Manitoba during the same period. Dry Water is the second book in the Canadian Literature Collection from University of Ottawa Press.

On May 20, 2008, a statue of the poet Al Purdy was unveiled in Queen's Park. Toronto poet Paul Vermeersch was in attendance for the dedication ceremony, and he takes this opportunity to reflect on Purdy's life, death and legacy.

As with all things to do with the Scream Literary Festival, this story starts in a bar - the Victory Café. Its brown and beige interior is familiar to most Torontonians who live in the Annex neighbourhood. A good selection of craft beer keeps its patio crammed through the summer months. Its small but well-trod stage on the second floor has made it a touch point for the city's artistic communities, the poets among them.

I'm sitting at one of the few empty tables on the patio. Bill Kennedy appears around the corner of the building with briefcase in hand. His brown hair is approaching shoulder length, and he's wearing shorts and a checkered button-up tee-shirt – standard business attire for the Scream's artistic director.