Sudbury poet laureate Tom Leduc revels in zombie poetry
Sudbury’s poet laureate loves zombies, so much so, he finds inspiration in his daily life to write zombie based poetry.
“You Google zombie poetry and all kinds of stuff comes up,” Tom Leduc said.
“Zombie haiku’s and all kinds of stuff. Some are funny, some are deep and meaningful. Zombies are so rich in metaphors … how could you not write poetry about them?”
He said zombies fit with a modern theme of consumption, especially seen in today’s society where he said people are consumed with consuming.
“And so do we — we always want more, whether it’s … bigger is better. We want more food, we want more money, more riches, more everything,” he said.
Beyond inspiration in society, Leduc said he finds ideas in his everyday life, including from his wife.
“She came home from work one day … and she had a rough day and [she said] ‘I feel dead inside, like I’m rotting, like I’m not really here’” he explained.
“Instantly, I said, ‘You feel like a zombie on the inside.’”
Leduc said he’s also taken children’s nursery rhymes and changed them into zombie nursery rhymes, something he reads to his children.
“My kids will need therapy I think,” he said with a laugh.
To celebrate zombie poetry, the Greater Sudbury Library along with Leduc hosted ‘An Evening of Zombie Poetry and Film’ Tuesday night in downtown Sudbury.