Our History

By James Moran - Former Director of the Tree Reading Series (2001-2006)

With files from Chris Sorrenti and Lynne Alsford, both early members of the Tree Reading Series,  Oscar Marten, Tree organizer from 1993-1995, and a Centretown News article written by Vivian Lee dated February 24, 1994.

 

Five people founded Tree in 1979 or 1980  to establish a creative writing club. Since  then, members of the group – writers,  poets and anyone interested in literature –  have gathered twice monthly to share their  own writing and the writing of others.  Founders include Joe Lacroix, Nelson Oliver  and Jim McCauley, soon joined by Juan O'Neill, Paul Ryan and Marty Flomen.

 

The first Tree reading occurred at the old  Fire Hall in the Glebe, with Jane Jordan as  the first featured poet. The occasion was a  special tribute to Jane, who was instrumental  in developing poetry readings and encouraging  poets in Ottawa. Co-founder Marty Flomen said  Tree was never named for any symbolic reason. “Somebody yelled out ‘How about tree?’” said Flomen. “Nobody argued and the name stuck.”

 

Soon after inauguration, Tree began holding readings in the Friends’ Quaker Centre on Fourth Avenue, moving, after about five years to the Jack Purcell Community Centre, then back to the new Friends’ Quaker Centre. Tree moved to the Glebe Community Centre in about 1988.

 

Meetings have always occurred on the second and fourth Tuesdays monthly, except in December, when a meeting is held on the second Tuesday only – the all open mic or ‘Christmas Tree’ evening. In the 1990s, a joint Christmas party with the Orion reading series rounded out the year's activities, usually on the third Friday evening of the month. This collaboration no longer takes place.

 

In 1982, Marcus Jokinnen and Andrew Coward took over the organization. About three years later, Deborah McMullin joined. Jokinnen and Coward held a ‘poetry fest’ for two or three years during this Heather Ferguson became the organizers. Heather was largely responsible for expanding, improving and rejuvenating Tree. In 1988, Tree and the Sasquatch Reading Series co-sponsored and organized the Juryroom Workshop, a critical forum for poetry and fiction run by Juan O’Neill. Shortly after, organizers added the Jane Jordan Poetry Contest. These events are no longer on-going.

 

Circumstances such as the availability and price of venues have haphazardly affected Tree’s location. In 1998, Irene’s Pub, in the Glebe, hosted Tree and the Saw Gallery on Nicholas Street was home to Tree in 1999. When the Saw Gallery was renovating in 1999, Tree moved into the Royal Oak II Pub at 161 Laurier Avenue East. The Oak granted the venue for free, in a basement seldom used during regular evenings.

 

Some recent former organizers include directors Sylvia Adams and rob mclennan, Assistant Director Stephen B. Harding. Director Nadine Miller’s tenure ended in January 2000. From 1993-1995, many authors read under the auspices of the Canada Council for Arts, including Christopher Dewdney, Terry Griggs, and Steven Heighton.

 

James Moran, director, and Darryl Wright, former  Assistant director, took over the series in January  2000, from Nadine Miller and her husband. Their tenure  brought new life and a steady audience to the series,  not to mention quality authors. Kerry McNulty was  Tree’s Treasurer during the spring and summer of  2000. With the addition of Jennifer Mulligan as  Webmaster and Treasurer in May 2000, Tree has had  a steady improvement in the calibre of writers and  audience attendance. This new Tree executive revived  the series’ funding, booking a steady number of authors  through the Canada Council for the Arts and the League  of Canadian Poets. Tree has also successfully applied for City of Ottawa funding since the fall of 2000.

 

In the fall of 2005, the anthology ‘Twenty-Five Years of Tree’ was published by Buschek Books (www.buschekbooks.com) to showcase the history of the series and the writing of the many authors that have read at Tree over the years.

 

In December 2005, the ‘James and Jennifer’ team moved on to new things, including focusing on their own writing, and Rhonda Douglas, Dean Steadman and Joanne Steadman formed the new organizing executive of the Tree Reading Series. In January 2008, Rhonda also departed Tree to pursue her writing interests and Dean took over as Tree’s Director with new executive members Rod Pederson, Don Officer and Nicole Chatelain, and the continued assistance of Joanne as Treasurer.

 

Dean handed the Director’s position to Rod Pederson in December 2009, after shepherding Tree to a much superior venue in the Ottawa Arts Court Library.  Dean left Tree in a solid position with respect to personnel, financing and a fine slate of readers for 2009.  He continues to help the organization along in the capacity of Director Emeritus, for which Tree is especially grateful.