Linda Purdy enriched the Orange County literary and arts community for over 30 years. Her playful poems, stories, and art found homes in The Ear, Faultline, and other local literary magazines. At Irvine Valley College, she swept into our classes ready to open young students’ eyes to the magic of the everyday, to share her deep knowledge, and to learn with us.
In her poetry, Linda often zeroed in on tiny details--dust, a plant twining up a carport, a goldfish--and helped us see them with fresh eyes, finding deeper meaning about huge concepts like mortality or perfection. Her stories featured sometimes zany characters, but always with vivid, captivating voices. Like her other work, Linda’s photographs made us notice the spectacular--a pickup truck that appears to be hovering, clouds echoing cypress tree shapes, even a steel colander momentarily made UFO.
The Linda Purdy Memorial Prize aims to promote the work of members of the Orange County community whose poetry, art, or prose resonates with Linda’s own and helps keep our focus on the weird and wonderful in our lives.
We hope that you’ll help us honor Linda’s memory by working towards an endowed fund, which will allow us to grant the award in perpetuity.
Donations can be made directly to the fund online via the form below on this page.
If you would like to mail a donation to the Foundation for the Linda Purdy Memorial Prize, please indicate the Linda Purdy Fund in the notations section of the check and send it to:
Irvine Valley College Foundation
5500 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine CA 92618
For any questions relating to this fund, please contact the Foundation office at 949-451-5290.