Canadian poet Al Purdy published over 30 collections, a novel, two memoirs and four books of letters — including one between him and Margaret Laurence — over five decades of writing. Born in Wooler, Ont. in 1918 and raised during the Depression, Purdy served in the RCAF in the Second World War. As a writer, he received two Governor General's Awards for Poetry and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 1982. He died in North Saanich, B.C. on April 21, 2000.
Naked with Summer in Your Mouth is one of his celebrated poetry collections. It was published by McClelland & Stewart in 1994.
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Media Video | Archives : Mourning Al Purdy
Caption: Canadians remember the life of legendary poet Al Purdy.
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Media Video | Archives : A difficult beginning for Al Purdy
Caption: Al Purdy describes Ameliasburgh, his rocky start, riding the rails, failure.
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Media Video | (not specified) : Margaret Atwood reads Al Purdy's Wilderness Gothic
Caption: In an excerpt from the 2015 documentary Al Purdy Was Here, Margaret Atwood reads the late Al Purdy's poem Wilderness Gothic.
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Media Audio | Archives : Al Purdy, the grand old man of Canadian poetry
Caption: Friends, family and associates describe the formidable grand old man of Canadian poetry.
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Media Audio | Archives : Al Purdy's life in letters
Caption: Purdy's correspondence with politicians, poets and personal heroes is published after his death. Al: The Collected Letters of Al Purdy (2004), Harbour Publishing.
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