slloyd's blog

The Guardian (Charlottetown) reports today that the Duchess of Cambridge spoke more about her love of Anne while meeting Tess Benger, the actress portraying Anne in this year's production of Anne of Green Gables: The Musical. Ms. Benger presented a copy of the book to the Duchess, who remarked that she was looking forward to reading it again.

CBC News' Ryan Hicks reports (via Twitter - http://yfrog.com/user/ryhicks/profile) that a young girl presented the Duchess with an early-edition Anne of Avonlea at the Charlottetown waterfront Monday morning; she later told reporters that the Duchess plans to "read it on the plane."

Somebody buy that girl a cordial!

Update (July 5): The very pleasant and helpful Mr. Hicks confirms that the astute young gift-giver's name is Lily Gillespie. Here is a photo -- also courtesy of Mr. Hicks -- of Lily being interviewed after the presentation.

The L.M. Montgomery Institute is pleased to join in welcoming Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to Prince Edward Island July 3 - 4 (http://www.gov.pe.ca/royaltour/). As part of The Guardian (Charlottetown) team covering the Island leg of the tour, kindred spirit Jocelyne Lloyd was privileged to meet the Duchess at a media reception in Charlottetown July 3rd, and asked Her Highness about her reported love of Anne Shirley. The Duchess confirmed that she had been a fan ever since reading Anne of Green Gables at age 8, and remarked: "It's every little girl's dream to be Anne, I think." Montgomery's tradition of winning admirers in high places continues (to learn more, read this fine essay by Mary Beth Cavert: http://home.earthlink.net/~bcavert/id35.html) 

The following message is posted on behalf of the the LM Montgomery Society of Ontario:

TO ALL WHO APPRECIATE THE PRESERVATION OF THE HERITAGE OF L.M. MONTGOMERY:

The Lucy Maud Montgomery Society of Ontario has worked hard to preserve both the home of L.M. Montgomery in Leaskdale, a National Historic Site, and the nearby church that was an important part of her life. Four years ago the Society took out a $200,000 loan to buy the Church, and through a lot of hard work have reduced the mortgage to less than $80,000.

Please help us to preserve in Leaskdale, Ontario, the heritage of Lucy Maud Montgomery, an author whose legacy has touched so many Canadians and people around the world. 

We would like you to help us BURN A MORTGAGE!

While the devastation following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan earlier this month is a cause for universal sorrow and dismay, people influenced by LM Montgomery's legacy will feel particular sadness thinking of the many Japanese "kindred spirits". 

Yuko Izawa, well-known to many in Montgomery studies thanks to her faithful attendance at the LMMI Conferences and other Canadian Montgomery gatherings, was in the hard-hit city of Sendai when the quake struck. At last report (March 24) she was safe and well, but concerned about food and gas shortages.

The LMMI extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the Japanese people, and we encourage everyone who has not already done so to give generously to the various relief efforts now underway (Canadian readers may wish to visit CBC's special site on the disaster, which has links to various relief agencies now working in Japan).

The L.M. Montgomery Institute is pleased to congratulate our 2009/2010 Visiting Scholar, Dr. Benjamin Lefebvre, on the succesful launch of The Blythes are Quoted. Montgomery's final book had previously been published only in expurgated form (as The Road to Yesterday), and a complete version of the work was unavailable to the public until Dr. Lefebvre prepared Montgomery's original manuscript for publication by Viking Canada this fall. The book has already garnered considerable media attention and favourable reviews.

Charlottetown book collectors Frank and Juanita Lechowick have launched a new book, A collector's guide to L.M. Montgomery firsts.

From the launch announcement:

"In the course of research in libraries and used book stores from Charlottetown to Victoria, the authors have discovered the points of Montgomery’s original editions, from Anne of Green Gables (1908) to Anne of Ingleside (1939).  A Collector’s Guide to L. M. Montgomery Firsts presents their findings systematically, with photographs and descriptions of each of the 39 first editions."

For P.E.I. orders, contact:

Frank Lechowick

falechowick@hotmail.com