Portia White: A Portrait in Words
(Hardback)
Publishing Details
Portia White: A Portrait in Words
By (Author) George Elliott Clarke
Illustrated by Lara Martina
Nimbus Publishing Ltd
Nimbus Publishing Ltd
9th February 2020
Canada
Classifications
General
Non Fiction
811.6
Physical Properties
Hardback
72
Width 152mm, Height 229mm
253g
Description
A stirring, epic poem vibrating with energy and music that spans White's birth in 1911 and two World Wars.
In his unique brand of spoken-word African poetry, the incomparable George Elliott Clarke explores a personal subject: his great-aunt Portia White, operatic contralto. The result is a stirring, epic poem vibrating with energy and music that spans White's birth in 1911, a coming of age amidst the backdrop of two World Wars, and her life-long love affair with music-from singing in to directing the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church choir to her bel canto tutlege at the Halifax Conservatory of Music to her final, commanding performance before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1964. 'Portia White' is a stunning testament to the first African Canadian to become an international star. Features vibrant illustrations by contemporary artist Lara Martina.
Author Bio
Dr. George Elliott Clarke, O.C., O.N.S., Ph.D., is a native of Windsor, Nova Scotia, and is the Poet Laureate of Toronto, Ontario, where he teaches Canadian literature at the University of Toronto. Lara Martina is one of Nova Scotias contemporary landscape artists, a writer, and illustrator. A Canadian of Mikmaw, French, and Italian heritage, she divides her time between Italy and Canada.
