On Saturday afternoon the McCord Museum was the place for fans of Irving Layton. Local actor Arthur Holden performed some of Layton’s letters and poems, which is to say he read them in his best Poetry Voice. He did a fine job, but I’ve always found it funny when people feel the need to read poetry in a Very Serious Voice with over-enunciated consonants, drawn out vowels, and the inevitable line whispered or shouted for emphasis (in case you don’t know what I mean, this parody should give you an idea). It’s a cliché that really ought to be avoided, although it could be argued that this reading style suits Layton’s irony and sardonic humour.