Dyane Léger
Categories: Female Authors - Francophone Authors - Poets - Acadian Coast
Biography
Born in Notre-Dame de Kent (Acadie), 1954. A visual artist and poet, her first collection of poems, Graines de fées, was the inaugural work of Éditions Perce-Neige (1980). For over 30 years, poetry and painting have allowed her to travel all over the world, while keeping her anchored in reality. From the Maritimes to Louisiana, as well as throughout Europe, Dyane Léger draws from everyday life to inspire her poems.
Dyane Léger: Who is she? She will tell you, “I am a line in time, a point in eternity. I am a writer; each of my books uncovers one more secret for me. Conclusion: in life, the mirror looks and the book speaks – between the two, a life is woven, and poetry passes through.”
Dyane Léger lives in Moncton and in Notre-Dame de Kent.
What is your favourite New Brunswick book, and why?
My favourite book is Acadie Rock by Guy Arsenault, (Éditions Perce-Neige, 1973). Reading this book gave me permission to take my first gulp of air, to fill my lungs with life, to feel in every fibre of my being the appearance of something real that I suspected existed, but that had up until then remained hidden under a thick layer of fog. The discovery, or rather confirmation, that somewhere in the world, there are people who talk, laugh, cry and live from day to day, just like at my father’s house – that was a revelation for me; it set me free. That day, a door opened to the universe, and I held in my hand the key that led to freedom.
What do you consider to be the highlight of your career so far?
Every time I complete a manuscript that becomes a book, every time I receive an invitation to a literary event, every time a reader takes the time to slip me a note to tell me how a poem has touched his or her heart…that is the highlight of my career.
Having been invited to give a lecture in Strasbourg, a city marked by the printing revolution in the 15th century; having been invited to present my paintings in Prague (known as the city of a hundred steeples, which in actual fact has 500) and in Bratislava (city where the millionth Volkswagen vehicle was made); knowing that Graines de fées is the subject of two masters’ theses (Denise Paquette and Maxine Judge) and still being able to see the flame of passion glowing in the eyes of another person…what else is there to add?
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Literary Prizes |
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| Nomination - Prix de poésie Terrasses Saint-Sulpice de la revue Estuaire - 1996 | In recognition of: Comme un boxeur dans une cathédrale |
| Prix France-Acadie - 1981 | In recognition of: Graines de fées |
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Featured Publication |
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L'incendiaire (2008) |
Excerpt: Peu de choses sont certaines dans la vie, sauf la mort et quelquefois la douceur du printemps. Mais ça, tout le monde en est conscient à un moment ou à un autre de sa vie. On dit aussi que lorsqu’un amoureux offre de décrocher la lune et les étoiles pour une femme, c’est qu’il l’aime vraiment. And that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Reality check. Les perles et les pierres précieuses qui pendent de mon poignet, ne m’apportent aucun réconfort, pas là, pas maintenant. (p.36) Je ne sais pas comment on tue un cochon, ni comment on arrive à réparer une transmission ; je sais seulement que la ligne du temps perdure encore et toujours et qu’avec son passage, le temps qui est nôtre, nous échappe, nous repousse, nous use, nous défait et qu’en fait de compte, le cri du cochon qu’on égorge est plus humain que nous ne l’imaginons. (p. 42) |
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Find this author in the New Brunswick public libraries catalogue.
Source(s): Author
