Two artists from New Brunswick have been assigned to create artwork inspired by the regional literary community.
Thandiwe McCarthy is among the “Frye correspondents” participating in this year’s Frye Festival in Moncton.
“I discovered this information at the Atlantic symposium back in October when they discussed writing and how the Frye decided to use their budget, not for marketing purposes, but to support local writers so they could focus on producing content related to the festival and share what they truly enjoy,” explained McCarthy, who is a spoken-word artist, published writer, and public speaker.
Established in 1999, the Frye Festival is the biggest literary event in Atlantic Canada. Describing itself as an “English-French bilingual festivity of literature, concepts, and creativity,” this gathering attracts many enthusiasts.
The 26th iteration of the festival, ongoing until May 4, includes over 40 events.
McCarthy mentioned that this position enabled him to attend various events and find inspiration. Moreover, prior to the commencement of the festival, the correspondents had the responsibility of connecting with the authors and documenting their stories.
An event McCarthy went to featured three people all interpreting the poetry of Nizar Qabbani, with each performer using a distinct language: Arabic, English, and French.
“As someone who speaks English … I do not comprehend any French, yet that did not hinder my ability to perceive and grasp the elegance of the tales shared in various languages,” he remarked, mentioning that he composed a poem inspired by the occasion.
He remarked, ‘Each occurrence sparks a verse.’
Even without understanding the language, you can still follow the tale.
The artist and author Jon Claytor, who also corresponded with Frye, mentioned that he has been maintaining a daily journal containing comic-like illustrations.
His favourite event of Frye so far was called “Frye Fever.” Four writers were given 36 hours to write two original pieces, with the last line of every piece being the title of a dance-worthy song.
“Once they reach that final line, the DJ kicks off the rhythm and everyone rises to dance,” stated Claytor.
The poetry was incredibly potent… and subsequently, the dance was very therapeutic.
