Meet the Founders of this website.

A word from our current recruiter, editor, and writer, Aurora Antonovic:

Poetry is amazing in the sense that it beautifies, inspires, and gives voice to many things that need be said. It is also a bridge to relationships, forging friendships where none would otherwise exist. Such is the case with relationships developed via A Little Archive of Poetry.

A Little Archive of Poetry was begun by Pete Collins, and when his time came to turn the site over to another to run, he chose his friend, Jocelyne Marchand. At the time, she shared this biographical information about herself with us:

"I, like Pete Collins (the former webmaster), was introduced into literature at a young age. I was born in Noranda Quebec and received my education in Ottawa, Ontario. I had a parochial upbringing and the Sisters were aware that fine literature, poetry in particular 'has the power of calling all of us to a loving attention of truth that cannot make itself known in either reason or belief alone.' I had a bilingual education but I especially enjoyed English literature most of all.
It brought me such pleasure and amusement with one particular teacher. She had the ability to communicate her enthusiasm of Shakespeare and other classical works into sheer pleasure! We would beg her to prolong her discussions well beyond class time. She was delicate in nature as she was physically... this petite woman stirred in each of us a thirst for a deeper understanding of what was being studied with her passionate convictions. She had a keen insight into the author's most obscure meanings it seemed."
Her goal was to open up our young minds, and as Tennyson would have it:
"to strive to conquer and never to yield."

In sharing a part of herself freely with us, Jocelyne opened up the bridge of friendship, through poetry, to many of us. In sharing my verse with her, and discussing the merits of poetry, we became friends. And it didn’t just stop there because, as I look through the list of modern poets included on this site, I realize that most all of them have now become my friends as well.

While Pete Collins built the foundation for this archived site to highlight his love of poetry, Jocelyne is the one who beautified it. Through her time, talent, and devotion, Jocelyne has taken A Little Archive of Poetry to where it is today: an exciting archive of poetry that blends the best of classical poetry with the freshness of today’s new poets. Now my turn to add to this string of friendship founded on poetry has come. At Jocelyne’s invitation, I am beginning my stint at A Little Archive of Poetry, and extend my hand in welcome to you to come in, explore this site, and enjoy the beauty that poetry brings.   ©May, 2006.

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