Reading in Cosmopolitan Rutherglen
I was delighted to read in Rutherglen, a small hamlet in Northern Ontario, about a 30-minute drive west of North Bay, partially because it was well attended—better than readings I’ve attended in Toronto! In North America, poetry readings (or any author readings) don’t attract huge audiences (to put it mildly). This is very unlike some South American and European countries, but interest doesn’t seem to depend that much on the size of the place where it is given. A somewhat cynical explanation for the good turn-out in Rutherglen is that the people in smaller communities are just starved for any cultural event. I certainly don’t know, but frankly I don’t really care why the audience is there—as long there is a chance to spark their interest.
