Pierrette Desjardins

Folk, solo voice, accent québécois, guitare, recto tono, echo, calm serene, true, ‑Opera, ‑bel canto, ‑tremolo, ‑vibrato, ‑dramatic, ‑theatrical, ‑agressive, ‑shouting, ‑sarcastic, ‑folkloric, ‑percussions

I have just learned some very sad news:
the passing of Pierrette Benoît, at 95 years old
mother of Marie, Martin, and Lucie.

Pierrette was first and foremost a tender and caring wife
to her Jean-Claude.
She was all the gentleness in the world,
inner calm and peace,
infinite kindness
and great generosity.

I could tell you about the many conversations I had with Jean-Claude,
but instead, let me speak of everything
this woman brought into my life.

Pierrette possessed an encyclopedic and meticulous knowledge
of traditional women’s crafts.
As a bookseller working in a nonprofit,
I still find myself recommending to craftswomen
the book Pierrette once recommended to me:
The Encyclopedia of Needlework,
a century-old and indispensable work
for needlework enthusiasts around the world.
Written by Thérèse de Dillmont, an exceptional embroiderer,
it is an edition that breaks down every stitch and technique
with remarkable precision.

Embroidery, tapestry, knitting, crochet, macramé,
tatting, netting, lacework, drawn thread work—
Pierrette knew all of this by heart,
and with her heart.

It was because of her that I bought a Bruges lace tablecloth
for my wife during our visit to that Belgian city,
while I was working in Brussels.
It was also during my three-year stay
that Jean-Claude passed away.

You should have seen Pierrette’s lace collection,
her collection of carved Japanese figurines,
and her wonderful collection of small Christmas nativity scenes
carved in wood by Polish artisans—
pieces that still fill me with wonder today.

It is because of Pierrette as well
that I enrolled this year, as a man, in a crochet class,
to honor and understand the patience
and meticulousness of these women’s crafts.
I also wanted to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather,
who made and sold embroidery during the economic crisis,
after breaking his leg.

Pierrette embodied all the poetry
of François Villon’s Ballad of the Ladies of Times Past.
All the refinement one could hope for in a person
in matters of art, music,
and understanding the path of humanity
through the hands of women.

It was thanks to Pierrette that, as a teenager,
I wrote a poem about an embroiderer.
We men often speak
of what our male friends have taught us,
but Pierrette was someone
so genuine and so true.

She raised three authentic people,
each remarkable in their own field.

Thank you, Madame Benoît,
thank you, Pierrette Desjardins,
for having managed to civilize my youth
through your influence.

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I have just learned some very sad news: the passing of Pierrette Benoît, at 95 years old mother of Marie, Martin, and Lucie. Pierrette was first and foremost a tender and caring wife to her Jean-Claude. She was all the gentleness in the world, inner calm and peace, infinite kindness and great generosity. I could tell you about the many conversations I had with Jean-Claude, but instead, let me speak of everything this woman brought into my life. Pierrette possessed an encyclopedic and meticulous knowledge of traditional women’s crafts. As a bookseller working in a nonprofit, I still find myself recommending to craftswomen the book Pierrette once recommended to me: The Encyclopedia of Needlework, a century-old and indispensable work for needlework enthusiasts around the world. Written by Thérèse de Dillmont, an exceptional embroiderer, it is an edition that breaks down every stitch and technique with remarkable precision. Embroidery, tapestry, knitting, crochet, macramé, tatting, netting, lacework, drawn thread work— Pierrette knew all of this by heart, and with her heart. It was because of her that I bought a Bruges lace tablecloth for my wife during our visit to that Belgian city, while I was working in Brussels. It was also during my three-year stay that Jean-Claude passed away. You should have seen Pierrette’s lace collection, her collection of carved Japanese figurines, and her wonderful collection of small Christmas nativity scenes carved in wood by Polish artisans— pieces that still fill me with wonder today. It is because of Pierrette as well that I enrolled this year, as a man, in a crochet class, to honor and understand the patience and meticulousness of these women’s crafts. I also wanted to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, who made and sold embroidery during the economic crisis, after breaking his leg. Pierrette embodied all the poetry of François Villon’s Ballad of the Ladies of Times Past. All the refinement one could hope for in a person in matters of art, music, and understanding the path of humanity through the hands of women. It was thanks to Pierrette that, as a teenager, I wrote a poem about an embroiderer. We men often speak of what our male friends have taught us, but Pierrette was someone so genuine and so true. She raised three authentic people, each remarkable in their own field. Thank you, Madame Benoît, thank you, Pierrette Desjardins, for having managed to civilize my youth through your influence.

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