February 20, 2009 - 5:14am
Tim Lilburn is not the kind of environmental activist who spends his spare time chained to old-growth cedars or standing in front of big machines. “That is important work to do,” said Lilburn, “but the machines are going to keep on coming and coming." Instead, he does his own work by writing poetry and essays.
Poetry and essays?
Well, yes. Lilburn would rather be held captive by nature than by the RCMP. "The practice of being arrested by natural complexity and trying to act in response to that experience, that's the most important thing," he said. "The deep political change is going to be interior change."
Lilburn, who holds a Ph.D. from McMaster University, has received several awards for the poems and essays that have resulted from his own contemplative practice; he won a Governor General's Award in 2003 for his book, Kill-site, and he has also been given the Canadian Authors Association Award, the Saskatchewan Book of the Year Award, and the Saskatchewan Nonfiction Award.
VIU English professor Jay Ruzesky, who is bringing Dr. Lilburn to the Nanaimo campus, said he was "beaming" when his invitation was accepted. "I'm teaching an English course in environmental literature right now and I can't imagine a better writer to bring to students than Tim Lilburn," said Ruzesky. "Not only does he believe passionately in the capacity of poetry to help us connect with nature, but he is also a fantastic performer."
"Listening to Tim read is a little like going to a wild jazz performance. It's music." He adds, "This particular reading is bound to appeal to a wide range of people because of Tim's environmental background and also his training in philosophy and religion."
Lilburn will read as part of the Poets on Campus reading series at VIU. The event takes place on Wednesday, March 4, at 7 pm in the Writing Centre which is on the 4th floor of the library, building 305 at the Nanaimo campus. Admission is free and all students and community members are welcome. For more information visit www.viu.ca/poetsoncampus or contact Jay Ruzesky at jay.ruzesky@viu.ca.
Tags: In the Community
