MEMORIAL READING FOR JULIA BUDENZ
March 7, 2011
5:00 to 6:00 pm, Woodberry Poetry Room

All spoke briefly on memories of Julia. Host Emily Lyle read a few short pieces by Julia while connecting remarks and introducing readings of the other participants.

1) Maggie Harrison (Celtic postgrad) sang Gaelic lament and read a piece by Julia on Scotland.
2) Greg Nagy read opening lines of The Odyssey in Greek and the opening of Julia’s “Ithaca.”
3) Richard Thomas read from The Eclogues of Virgil, including a reading in Latin.
4) Joe Harris read some Old English poetry.
5) Jan Hamer spoke the poems of Julia’s that she set to music.
6) Joyce Wilson gave remarks about the creation of the magazine on the Internet, The Poetry Porch, and Julia as a regular contributor and friend. Joyce read from Julia’s “Epistles,” specifically from Letters to Joe Orcame and Cicero. She also read an elegy titled “Anniversary” that Julia wrote for Nadya Aisenberg.
7) Fred Turner read a poem of his on Julia titled “Julia’s Catalpas” plus her poetry.
8) Mary Freeman discussed her friendship with Julia and read two pieces of her work.
9) Celia Gilbert read the opening of Julia’s from “The Fire Escape.”
10) Steven Riel read a poem by Tennyson on classics and a section from “The Fire Escape.”
11) David Ferry read some recent work of Julia’s inspired by Margaret Fuller who had lived in his house on Dana Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
12) K. E. Duffin read the end of Julia’s Carmina Carmentis and a poem of her own “Blackburnian Warbler at Dusk” that was inspired by it.
13) Roger Sinnott read a poem of Julia’s on Halley’s comet and spoke about an expedition to view the comet in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
14) Ruby von Dwornick, a neighbour who was with Julia when she died, read a poem Julia wrote in memory of Ruby’s husband.