You may have heard about the Lorenzo Society through their organization of cultural and artistic events. These include performances by the Saint John String Quartet, art exhibits, film screenings, readings from various authors, and the work of the VOX, the student literary journal. These activities are open to the public, free of charge, and take place either on the Saint John campus or in the city.  

Dr. Gemma Marr is a humanities and languages professor at the University of New Brunswick Saint John campus and the coordinator of the Lorenzo Society. She attended her first event at a reading and in conversation with Ann-Marie MacDonald, one of her favourite authors. “This event took place a few years before I became the Lorenzo Society coordinator, so it was a wonderful entry point into seeing what Lorenzo events offer participants. It was also fantastic to chat with someone whose work I admire!” 

One of her favourite events was a showing of Drive Back Home, a film that follows two brothers as they fight discrimination against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. One brother is persecuted in Toronto because he is queer, and the other travels from New Brunswick to Toronto to help his brother. Dr. Marr describes that “it was a lovely experience to watch the film alongside dozens of people who were interested in knowing more about this moment in history (the film is based on true events), and to have time to chat about the film afterward.” 

The Lorenzo Society contributes immensely to the art education of students because it enriches both class and campus experiences. “We not only try to integrate society programming into courses, for example professors will ask their classes to attend the Indigenous Film Festival or they will teach books by authors who are visiting the reading series, but we also work to create a cultural fabric on campus that compliments or enriches the overall student experience at UNBSJ. Listening to a performance by the String Quartet while you’re studying in the library, for example, offers a unique moment of artistic and academic interaction. VOX, the student literary journal, is also part of the Lorenzo Society and allows students to engage directly with creative writing, publishing, and literary community.” 

The History of the Lorenzo Society 

Going back 50 years to 1975, the Lorenzo Society was established by William Prouty. He was an author, editor, poet, and professor at various universities, including the University of New Brunswick Saint John. William Prouty named the society after Lorenzo Medici, a 15th-century ruler of Florence from 1469 to 1478 and patron of the arts, as he supported Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo.  

The Lorenzo Society Today: Upcoming Events 

The Lorenzo Society is jam-packed this fall semester with various reading and music events coming up! 

The society is currently presenting its Bistro Series, which aims to cultivate an engaging space for those who love to read, write, or learn about literature. This series will feature readings and conversations about literature, while also showcasing the upcoming work of various authors.  

The next Bistro event is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Hazen Hall Lecture Theatre. Elliot Gish, writer and librarian, will read from her novel, Grey Dog, and talk about her inspiration. Elliot Grish has an impressive reputation, with her short fiction appearing in the New Quarterly, Dark Matter Magazine, Wigleaf, and the Ex-Puritan. Published in 2024, Grey Dog is Grish’s debut novel and has received raving reviews. Author Heather O’Neill describes it as “a bewitching tale of the horrors of spinsterhood in the early 1900s, with madness and magic threaded through every sentence.”. 

Grey Dog is a great way to begin your Halloween season. Loosely based on King’s Landing, it is set in 1901 and explores schoolteacher Ada Byrd, who begins a new job in the town of Lowry Bridge after leaving her last post due to a mysterious scandal. As time goes on, Ada starts to make a life for herself in her new community, but she also notices something sinister in the shadows of the woods. Ada begins to see swarms of insects, a butchered rabbit, and a strange fawn. More importantly, she learns about what she calls “Grey Dog”. This book will leave you trapped between reality and delusion, and have you dying for more amidst your terror. 

@thelorenzosociety/Instagram

The final Bistro event is on Friday, November 21st, at 7 p.m. (stay tuned for the location). Amanda Peters will talk about her novel, The Berry Pickers, which was a finalist for the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize in 2023 and the Dartmouth Book Award in 2024. Peters will talk about her book along with her other work, including her 2025 collection of short fiction, Wait for the Long Night Moon. 
 
If music is more your jam, the Lorenzo Society has partnered up with Symphony New Brunswick to present a screening of the 1922 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, with an original score performed live by the orchestra. The score, written by New Brunswick composer Andrew Reed Miller, will accompany this thrilling film of a vampire who targets the wife of his estate agent and brings the plague to their town. Get your tickets for this spooky experience here, as the event will take place on October 24th, at 7:30 p.m., in the Dennis Knibb Auditorium at Saint John High School.  

@Symphony_nb/Instagram

English 3716: Reading and Writing Community 

This semester, an English course is being offered, which focuses on the “legacy, impact, and potential of cultural community by using the Lorenzo Society as a case study.”. This course expands from the past to the future. “We discuss the society’s past and reflect on who and what goes into building a foundation for this kind of community. We think about the present by engaging directly with the work of the Lorenzo Society’s 2025 season. And we also try to imagine the society’s future by giving attention to the changing nature of writing, reading, and ideas of literary community in an age dominated by questions about AI, limited attention spans, and more.” 

“Overall, the course takes a unique approach to the study of literature and offers students a chance to learn skills in arts writing for different formats, research and exhibit curation, and critical reflection, as well as traditional skills such as close reading, building effective arguments, and more.” 

@thelorenzosociety/Instagram

Make sure to check out the Lorenzo Society at their website and Instagram to enrich your semester and take advantage of the art Saint John has to offer!