Two purdys: A double portrait, brian purdy

Pottersfield Press, 2023

Two Purdys: A Double Portrait by Brian Purdy is a thoughtful collection of poems in the memoir tradition. Brian Purdy is the estranged son of Canadian literary icon Al Purdy. As the offspring of an extra-marital affair, Brian attempts to reconcile the absence of Al from his childhood. The son grows into the same work/struggle as his father—being a poet in Canada—and their literary passions become their point of brief connection until his father’s death. This is a good read for those reflecting on their own relationship to a male progenitor.

—Jordan Trethewey, Fredericton