Atwood pays homage to Frye in lecture

The Capitol Theatre in Moncton was packed with more than 600 people Saturday nightto hearacclaimed Canadian author Margaret Atwood deliver the annual Antonine Maillet-Northrop Frye lecture.

In her lecture, she revealed that it was Northrop Frye himself who was instrumental in helping her make a key career decision.

"[He] knew of my writerly ambitions, and who gave it, of his opinion, that I would probably get more writing done at Harvard, than by drudging away as a waitress in Paris or London, while drinking absinthe and smoking myself to death," Atwood said.

Atwood, whowas a student of Northrop Frye's,paid him tribute throughout her lecture.

"Northrop Frye is probably present with us in spirit, too, but in a different way," she said.

Her lecture was entitled 'Mythology and Me: The late 1950s at Victoria College,' and was followed up by a freewheeling question and answer session in which Atwood opened up about her connection to the Maritimes, thanks to her parents' Nova Scotia roots.

Jane Dryden, a professor at Mount Allison University, made the trip from Sackville, N.B.,to see Atwood. She wasn't disappointed

"It was really nice especially for an author that I've been reading since I was in high school, I feel like I've kind of grown up with it was really nice to see her as this sparkling human on the stage"

The Northrop Frye Literary Festival wrapped up Sunday.