An Introduction in Two Parts

"Can You See Me Yet?" Perspectives on Timothy Findley: An Introduction in Two Parts MICHAEL PETERMAN and CHARMAINE EDDY In late October 1997, Trent University dedicated a weekend to honour Timothy Findley. It was, quite deliberately, an eclectic event- part conference, part gathering offellow writers and part celebration. There were academic papers analysing his novels , short stories and plays; there were readings by old friends and younger writers whom Findley had influenced; and there were performances by a variety of entertainers who had clos.e personal links to the author. It was the kind ofevent a place like Trent does well. Ithearkened back to two similar weekends celebrating another close friend of the university, Margaret Laurence. There was "Margaret Laurence and Friends," held in March 1974 at which 12 Canadian writers gathered to read from theirworks and manifest their friendship and respect for Laurence. Over 1,500 people attended the readings that weekend. And there was a second celebratory event in March 1988, after Margaret had died, to recognize her special kinshipto Trent and to the Peterborough area where she had made her home for the last 15 years of her life. Attendance was larger still with many visitors turned away for lack ofroom. Don'tlookfor those events in James King's biography ofLaurence; they weren't, for some reason, included. Timothy Findley wasn't one of the 12 writers who attended the first Laurence weekend. The Wars had not yet appeared and he was relatively unknown, despite some fine short stories that had been appearing in magazines and two novels, The Last ofthe Crazy People and The Butterfly Plague. The writing thathe was undertaking for television and radio, often co-authored with Bill Whitehead, was still to be fully recognised. It was with the publication of The Wars that many of us began to "see" him. Shortly thereafter he began to visit Trent, either by invitation (there were many) or in conjunction with book tours. He was here often, sometimes visiting Margaret Laurence en passant, and always attracting large and enthusiastic Trent audiences to hear him read and discuss his writing. I can recall five or six such visits, one for a week in duration as writer-in-residence and one to deliver an address to the Trent Philosophical Society on "My Final Hour." This piece was subsequently published in the Journal's Spring 1987 issue. I have many vivid memories of his ability to perform powerfully and gracefully, even when he was weary and under the weather. In his own particular way, living but an hour's drive from Peterborough in Cannington, he became a important presence for us here, a presence (like Journal ofCanadian Studies Vol. 33, No. 4 (Hiver 1998-99 Winter) 3 Margaret Laurence herselfhad) a writer ofrare ability and personal generosity who proved a gracious and thoughtful friend to faculty and students alike. Small wonderthen that we atTrent should seekto find a way to recogniseTnnothy Findley and his many literary achievements. "Can You See Me Yet?" was several years inthe planning and was spurredinitially by the news that he andBill Whitehead were planning to sell Stone Orchardfarm and move to the south ofFrance where Tiff could write away from the increasing demands upon his time by charities and the literary marketplace. After some initial delays we began to plan in earnest for 19-21 October 1997 and quickly the weekend began to take on a life and energy ofits own. A team of dedicated volunteers - faculty, staff and .students too many to name here - worked tirelessly to make the event as free-flowing and as comfortable as possible. Without these efforts, "Can You See Me Yet?" could not have succeeded. A call for papers brought in a wide range ofresponses from as far afield as Italy, Russia, the United States, Halifax and Vancouver. We garnered financial supportfrom various departments and colleges atTrent, from Peterborough's exemplary corporate citizen, Quaker Oats ofCanada, from theT.H.B. Symons Trust, from theFrost Centre for the Study of Canadian Heritage and Development, from the Bruce Westwood agency and from HarperCollins. We invited a wide range ofwriters. There were old friends likeDonHarron, June Callwood (who spokepassionately aboutTiffand Bill's...