Highlighting chapters of her life from growing up and living in Beechy, Sask., poet Sharon MacFarlane gave a very personal poetry reading at the John M. Cuelenaere Library on Saturday.
“I think her poetry, like her prose, is unpretentious and filled with life and beauty like the prairie and its people,” Prince Albert poet Lynda Monaham said of the visiting poet’s work.
“Poetry, I think, can be pretentious and not at all accessible to regular people, and Sharon’s poetry is not at all like that. It’s lovely and touching and funny and Sharon.”
MacFarlane read a selection from her new book of poetry, The Lights of Home, about her hometown of Beechy. The first section is about her parents, including memories of them as young adults through to seniors, and the second section is about Beechy and South Saskatchewan as a whole — its people and landscapes.
The book comes more than a decade after her last release — a short story collection named Driving off the Map.
Poetry, she said, has a much smaller market than short stories.
“It’s not as big as I’d like,” she said with a laugh. ”People tend to like short stories and novels. Poetry is more of a niche market.”
Prince Albert's poetry group, Son Nom, has about six members who are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year.
