Fredericton’s Poet Laureate has learned a thing or two about waiting.
For the past two years, Jordan Trethewey sat in the entryway of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery or at a booth he set up at the Garrison Night Market waiting for people to talk to him.
He was waiting to hear stories – stories about anything.
“Having the patience to wait for people to decide to talk to me, that was hard some nights,” said Trethewey from his Fredericton home. “When it was raining, I didn’t get anybody.”
But his patience eventually paid off.
Trethewey interviewed more than 80 people in the capital region who shared stories about their personal lives. People shared stories about love, loss, and everything in between – even their pets. Trethewey transformed those stories into poems, which he eventually compiled into a book: These are the People in Your Neighbourhood.
“Most people didn’t want to talk about their jobs,” he said. “What’s important to us isn’t our work. It’s family or life experiences. That seems to be what sticks with people.”
His biggest takeaway from the project, is to take time to listen.
“You have no idea what somebody’s background is or what they’re going through and what makes this person tick,” he said. “They may have irritated you in traffic or the grocery store, but you have no idea what’s going on in their lives. This made a difference to me.”
Inspired by authors like Stephen King and Alden Nowlan, Trethewey says he has always had a passion for reading and writing. But he wanted to write a book about the people of Fredericton after spending so much time inside during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A Poet Laureate should be out in the community.”
The local writer will host a book launch at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m.
The event is open to the public and will include readings from his book. There will also be a Q&A segment and live music. The Gallery’s Daily Espresso will also be available to purchase snacks and refreshments.
Books will be available to purchase at the book launch and online through Amazon:
Trethewey was appointed Fredericton’s poet laureate in 2021 by Council. The two-year team was extended into 2024 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Poet Laureate acts as an ambassador of the literary arts, the positive impact of literature, poetry and the spoken word. A Poet Laureate also creates original poems and writings to present at civic events and engages with the public through a range of activities, programs, and other special events.
“I wanted to bring my love of reading and writing out into the community,” he said.