The Lorenzo Society is closing off the 2015/16 academic year with a few final events.
It has been a big year for the Lorenzo Society with monthly readings, galleries, concerts, and coffeehouses.
On April 7, the Lorenzo Reading Series’ featured author Carol Bruneau, reading from These Good Hands.
Bruneau’s novel, These Good Hands, is a historical fiction that follows French sculptor Camille Claudel during the final few months of her life in the asylum.
Bruneau said that the process of research behind the novel was eye opening.
“I just was desperate to see her work, so finally after three years I got to go to Paris for the first time to see her work in person. It was mind blowing -just wonderful. So I also went and visited the asylum where she had been… that was a really weird experience. It was really unsettling, but I needed to see it.”
Another main theme of the novel focuses on the friendship between Claudelle and her nurse. Bruneau believes that, “whatever we write, there has to be some sort of emotional connection to some aspect of it in order to stay engaged with it.”
Bruneau stated that the nurse was the character that kept her grounded.
“[the nurse] was my comfort zone, this character, because the rest of it is so out of my comfort zone.”
Bruneau’s next projects include a collection of short stories and a new novel.
Music Series finale
The Lorenzo Music Series finished the year on April 11 with a String Master Class.
The event was a warm up for string students who will participate in the NB Competitive Music Festival.
Student Arts annual on its way
While the Art Series is finished for the year, the Student Art Publication, Vox, is preparing its fourteenth annual publication.
Formatting for the publication has been finished, and is comprised of a considerable amount of student art, photography, prose, and poetry.
There is currently no date set for the Vox Launch, which will most likely be held at Bourbon Quarter.
Lorenzo charts course for upcoming year
Alison Hughes, the Reading Series’ director, is pleased with the year and has big plans for next year with the list of readers already prepared.
The next season begins on September 29th with two poets reading. Hughes could not yet release the names of the books that will be featured.
“Most of what I’ve booked for next year is not published at this moment. So we will be getting readings from books before they reach the mass-market,” says Hughes.
“The last reading of the year is really exciting, because this is also the first time that we’ve had a graphic novelist come. Someone who does both her art and the text.”
While the theme has not been decided for next year Hughes is looking for some ideas.
“I’d love to have some student input,” stating that she is always looking for students who want to get involved and get to know the visiting authors.
In addition Hughes hopes that Lorenzo and Vox will continue to hold joined coffeehouses and other events.
“[This year] was the first time we’ve had a joined coffeehouse with the two groups, I really enjoyed it. Shannon Webb-Campbell I think was the perfect person for it,” says Hughes
Hughes stressed that she is always looking for input, and asked students to email their suggestions of contemporary authors to Lorenzo@unb.ca
For more information on the Lorenzo Society, visit their page on the UNB website, http://www.unb.ca/saintjohn/arts/lorenzo/index.html