Places, sometimes, are people. The Institute of Island Studies is not a conventional organization running out of a university. It is a legacy of people’s time, and care, and dedication to an understanding of something: an understanding that is so clear that they make the something come true. As a place of learning, we don’t really think of Jane Ledwell as a poet, or the Executive Director of the Prince Edward Island Advisory Council on the Status of Women, or an editor, or even as a former Director of the Institute. For us, it’s not a given that there would have been any academic programs in Island Studies at the University of Prince Edward Island without Jane doing something quite goddess-like.
When you listen to this conversation, take a moment to think about your own relationship with Prince Edward Island. Dwell on your experiences, both good and bad, in the context of what you hear. If you’re feeling up to it, maybe orient yourself this weekend to have a difficult conversation with someone you know, even sometime in the near future. Prince Edward Island is a place where things might work in peculiar ways but where one can usually find ways to understand why as well. We will stop that thought right there, because this isn’t an Island Studies class.
Speaking of classes though, we’ve had a new cohort of students start their Master of Arts in Island Studies this September. Here is a peek into the connections that Island Studies is always exploring and the feeling of family that we hope everyone connected with us experiences in one way or another.
A message in a bottle from Jane