Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland’s “narrative poem seeks to align literary studies, ecology, and paleontology to explore relationships between facts and artefacts, between faithfully narrating the past and thoughtfully influencing the future.” The setting is the Joggins Fossil Cliffs: a paleontological treasure on the Bay of Fundy in Atlantic Canada. The author deftly weaves the elements of “witness, wisdom, and warning” into her poetry to create a conduit that gives voice to the Earth and its history — sounding deep alarm at the consequences of ignoring the ever-increasing and dire cries of our planet.
Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland is a writer, theatre artist, storyteller, and arts educator whose artistic practice is rooted in a commitment to environmental and social justice. She the is author of JAZZ— Nature’s Improvisation and Bearing Witness, a spoken-word play. She lives in Sackville, New Brunswick.