George Bowering

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George Bowering , OC , OBC (born December 1, 1935 in Penticton , British Columbia ) is a Canadian writer, poet , literary critic, university professor and historian. In 2002 he was named "Parliamentary Poet Laureate".

Life

George Bowering was born in Penticton, British Columbia, to Ewart Bowering and Pearl Brinson Bowering and grew up near the town of Oliver , where his father worked as a chemistry teacher at the local high school.

He did his military service from 1954 to 1957 as a photographer with the Royal Canadian Air Force .

He attended Victoria College and studied English literature at the University of British Columbia and the University of Western Ontario . He received his BA as a historian and an MA as a literary scholar at UBC in 1963

Bowering is the best known of a group of young poets including Frank Davey , Fred Wah , Daphne Marlatt , Jamie Reid, and David Dawson who studied together at the University of British Columbia during the 1950s and in both literary theory tried new methods of poetry.

While Eastern Canadian literature had taken on a downright aggressive anti-American undertone in the late 1950s and early 1960s, this experimental group of poets on the west coast of Canada was fully aware of American influences. At that time, this group founded the avant-garde poetry magazine TISH , which was a style- setting for North America and was distributed in the form of a newsletter . In the wake of the North American "Black Mountain Poets" at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, such as Robert Creely , Robert Duncan and Charles Olson , they rejected "conventional formalism and an elitist educational tradition in favor of simplicity, orality and simplicity in language."

This freer lyrical language of the "West Coast Poets" made use of completely different groups of authors in the following years: prose writers of the "mythopoetic" direction such as Margaret Atwood ( The Circle Game , 1966) or Michael Ondaatje ( The Collected Works of Billy the Kid , 1970 ) and Robert Kroetsch ( Seed Catalog , 1977), experimental poets such as Douglas Babour , Bill Bissett , bp Nichol and Stephen Scobie . Fred Cogswell , Alden Nowlan and Al Purdy developed a more colloquial, regionally rooted form of poetry from the basics.

From 1963 to 1966 he lectured at the University of Calgary , the next two years at Sir George Williams University and then at Simon Fraser University. He was visiting professor at various universities in Canada and the United States as well as in Rome, Berlin and Aarhus.

Bowering lives in Vancouver , British Columbia and is Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Simon Fraser University , where he has lectured for over 30 years.

Although he never wrote as a member of any particular church, he ironically described himself as a “ Baptist agnostic ”.

In 2002 the Canadian Parliament named him the first Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate . In the same year he was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada . In 2004 he was honored with the acceptance into the Order of British Columbia .

When the Indian poet Malay Roy Choudhury was imprisoned in Calcutta , India , Charles Bowering organized a special edition of the literary magazine Imago to support his Indian colleague in his trial.

Bowering served as a 2008 judge for the Griffin Poetry Prize . 2011 Charles Bowering won the the BC Book Prizes belonging Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence .

reception

Bowering, which is quite productive in literary terms, has written around 90 books, coining the terms “serial poem” and “serial novel” in addition to the meaning already indicated above - the latter since his trilogy Autobiology (1972), Curious (1973) and A Short Sad Book (1977). Ironic style breaks can often be found in his works. In Caprice (1987) he reverses the ending typical of an American western. In place of the male hero riding west at the end of the novel, Bowering had a woman go east. His novels, along with the Kroetschs, Susan Swans , Robertson Davies and Gwendolyn MacEwens , managed to "invent the history and identity of a nation perceived as mythless (...)."

plant

Fiction
  • Mirror on the floor . 1967
  • A Short Sad Book . 1977
  • Burning water . 1980 ( Governor General's Award for Fiction )
  • Caprice . 1988, 2010
  • Harry's Fragments . 1990
  • Shoot! . 1994, 2008
  • Parents from Space . 1994
  • Piccolo Mondo . 1998 (with Angela Bowering, Michael Matthews & David Bromige)
  • Diamondback Dog . 1998
  • Pinboy . Toronto, Cormorant, 2010.
Short fiction
  • Autobiology. 1972
  • Fiddler's Night. 1973
  • Flycatcher and Other Stories. 1974
  • Concentric Circles . 1977
  • Protective footwear . 1978
  • A place to die . 1983
    • Einzelerz., Transl. Elfi Schneidbach: A short story, in Columbus and the giant lady. Short stories from Canada. Structure AtV, Berlin 1992, pp. 281 - 293 (A Short Story)
  • The Rain Barrel . 1994
  • Standing on Richards . 2004
  • The Box . 2009
Poems, long form
  • Baseball . Toronto, Coach House Press, 1967, 2003
  • Sitting in Mexico . Calgary, Beaver Cosmos, 1970
  • George, Vancouver . Kitchener, Weed / Flower, 1970
  • Geneve Toronto, Coach House, 1971
  • Autobiology. Vancouver, New Star, 1972. Vancouver, Pooka, 2006
  • Curious. Toronto, Coach House, 1973
  • At War With the US. Vancouver, Talon, 1974
  • Allophanes. Toronto, Coach House, 1976
  • Ear reach. Vancouver, Alcuin, 1982
  • Kerrisdale Elegies. Toronto, Coach House, 1984. Vancouver, Pooka Press, 2008
    • Vancouver, Talonbooks, 2008
  • Elegy di Kerrisdale. Rome, Edizioni Empiria. Transl. Annalisa Goldoni. 1996
  • His Life: a poem. Toronto, ECW Press, 2000
Poetry anthologies
  • Sticks & Stones. Vancouver, Tishbooks, 1963
  • Points on the grid. Toronto, Contact Press, 1964
  • The Man in Yellow Boots / El hombre de las botas amarillas. Mexico,
    • Ediciones El Corno, 1965
  • The Silver Wire. Kingston, Quarry Press, 1966
  • Rocky Mountain Foot. Toronto, M&S, 1969
  • The Gangs of Kosmos. Toronto, House of Anansi, 1969
  • Touch: selected poems 1960–1969. Toronto, M&S, 1971
  • In the Flesh. Toronto, M&S, 1974
  • The catch. Toronto, M&S, 1976
  • Poem & Other Baseballs. Windsor, Black Moss, 1976
  • The Concrete Island. Montreal, Vehicule Press, 1977
  • Another mouth. Toronto, M&S, 1979
  • Particular accidents: selected poems. Vancouver, Talon, 1981
  • West Window: selected poetry. Toronto, General, 1982
  • Smoking mirror. Edmonton, Longspoon, 1982
  • Seventy-One Poems for People. Red Deer, RDC Press, 1985
  • Delayed Mercy & other poems. Toronto, Coach House, 1986
  • Sticks & Stones. Vancouver, Talonbooks, 1989
  • Urban Snow. Vancouver, Talonbooks, 1992
  • George Bowering Selected: Poems 1961-1992. Toronto, McClelland & Stewart, 1993
  • Blonds on bikes. Vancouver, Talonbooks, 1997
  • Poémes et autres baseballs. Montreal. Tryptique, 1999 (collaboration)
  • Changing on the Fly. Vancouver, Polestar, 2004
  • Vermeer's Light: Poems 1996-2006. Vancouver, Talonbooks, 2006, 2007
  • Kerrisdale Elegies 2nd Edition; Vancouver, Talonbooks, 2008
  • My Darling Nellie Gray Vancouver, Talonbooks, 2010
Critical literary writings
  • Al Purdy. Toronto, Copp Clark, 1970
  • Robert Duncan: to interview. Toronto, Coach House / Beaver Kosmos, 1971
  • Three Vancouver Writers. Toronto, Open Letter / Coach House, 1979
  • A Way With Words. Ottawa, Oberon, 1982
  • The Mask in Place. Winnipeg, Turnstone Press, 1983
  • Craft slices. Ottawa, Oberon, 1985
  • Errata. Red Deer, RDC Press, 1988
  • Imaginary hand. Edmonton, NeWest Press, 1988
  • Left hook. Vancouver, Raincoast Books, 2005
Chapbooks
  • How I Hear Howl. Montreal, Beaver Kosmos, 1967
  • Two Police Poems. Vancouver, Talon, 1969
  • The sensitive. Toronto, Massasauga, 1972
  • Layers 1–13. Kitchener, Weed / Flower, 1973
  • In Answer. Vancouver, William Hoffer, 1977
  • Uncle Louis. Toronto, Coach House, 1980
  • Spencer & Groulx. Vancouver, William Hoffer, 1985
  • Quarters. Prince George, Gorse Press, 1991 (winner, bp Nichol chapbook award 1991)
  • Thu Sink. Vancouver, Pomflit, 1992 (winner, bp Nichol chapbook award, 1992).
  • Sweetly. Vancouver, Wuz, 1992
  • Blondes on bikes. Ottawa, Above Ground, 1997
  • A, you're adorable. Ottawa, Above Ground, 1998, 2004
  • 6 Little Poems in Alphabetical Order. Calgary, House Press, 2000
  • Some writers. Calgary, House Press, 2001
  • Joining the Lost Generation. Calgary, House Press, 2002
  • Lost in the Library. Ellsworth, ME, Backwoods Broadsides, 2004
  • Rewriting my grandfather. Vancouver, Nomados, 2005
  • Crows in the Wind. Toronto, BookThug, 2006
  • A knot of light. Calgary, No Press. 2006
  • Montenegro 1966. Calgary, No Press, 2007
  • US Sonnets. Vancouver, Pooka, 2007
  • Eggs in There. Edmonton, Rubicon, 2007
  • Some Answers. Mt. Pleasant, ON, LaurelReed Books, 2007
  • Horizontal surfaces. Edmonton, Olive Collective, 2007
  • Tocking heads. Edmonton, above / ground, 2007
  • There then. Prince George, Gorse Press, 2008
  • Animals, Beasts, Critters. Vancouver, JB Objects, 2008
  • Valley. Calgary, No Press, 2008
  • Fulgencio. Vancouver, Nomados, 2008
  • According to Brueghel. North Vancouver, Capilano, 2008
  • Shall I Compare. Penticton, Beaver Cosmos, 2008
  • A little black strap. St. Paul, Unarmed, 2009
memoirs
  • The Mustache: remembering Greg Curnoe. Toronto, Coach House, 1993
  • A Magpie Life. Toronto, Key Porter, 2001
  • Cars. Toronto, Coach House Books, 2002
  • Baseball love. Vancouver, Talonbooks, 2006
Non-fiction book (history)
Dramas
  • The Home for Heroes. Vancouver, Prism, 1962
  • What Does Eddie Williams Want ?. Montreal, CBC-TV, 1966
  • George Vancouver. Vancouver, CBC radio network, 1972
  • Sitting in Mexico. Vancouver, CBC radio network, 1973
  • Music in the Park. Vancouver, CBC radio network, 1986
  • The Great Grandchildren of Bill Bissett's Mice. Vancouver, CBC radio network, 1989
editor
  • The 1962 Poems of RS Lane. Toronto, Ganglia Press, 1965
  • Vibrations: poems of youth. Toronto, Gage, 1970
  • The story so far. Toronto, Coach House, 1972
  • The City in her Eyes. by David Cull, Vancouver, Vancouver Community Press, 1972
  • Imago Twenty. Vancouver, Talon, 1974
  • Cityflowers. by Artie Gold , Montreal, Delta Canada, 1974
  • Letters from Geeksville: letters from Red Lane 1960-64. Prince George, Caledonia Writing Series, 1976
  • Great Canadian Sports Stories. Ottawa, Oberon, 1979
  • Fiction of Contemporary Canada. Toronto, Coach House, 1980
  • Loki is Buried at Smoky Creek: selected poems of Fred Wah. Vancouver, Talon, 1981
  • My Body was Eaten by Dogs: selected poems of David McFadden. Toronto, M&S, New York, CrossCountry, 1981
  • 1945-1980 ,. in Introduction to Poetry: British, American, Canadian, David and Lecker, Toronto, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1981
  • The Contemporary Canadian Poem Anthology. Toronto, Coach House, 1983
  • Sheila Watson and The Double Hook: the artist and her critics. Ottawa, Golden Dog Press, 1984
  • Taking the Field: the best of baseball fiction. Red Deer, RDC Press, 1990
  • Likely Stories: a postmodern sampler. Toronto, Coach House Press, 1992. WithLinda Hutcheon
  • An H in the Heart: Selected works of bpNichol. Toronto, McClelland & Stewart, 1994. With Michael Ondaatje
  • And Other Stories. Vancouver, Talonbooks, 2001
  • The 2008 Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology. Toronto, House of Anansi, 2008
  • The Heart Does Break. Toronto, Random House, 2009. With Jean Baird
Editor of literary magazines
  • Table. Vancouver, 1961-1963
  • Imago. Calgary, London, Montreal, Vancouver, 1964–1974.
  • Beaver Cosmos Folios. Calgary, London, Montreal, Vancouver, 1966-1975

Awards and nominations

literature

  • Roy Miki: A Record of Writing: an annotated and illustrated bibliography of George Bowering. Talonbooks, Toronto 1989
  • Ken Norris (Ed.): Essays on Canadian Writing, George Bowering issue. 1989
  • Eva-Marie Kröller: George Bowering: Bright Circles of Color. Talonbooks, Vancouver 1992
  • John Harris: George Bowering and His Works. ECW Press, Toronto 1992
  • Jean Baird, David McFadden, George Stanley (Eds.): 71 (+) for GB. Coach House, Vancouver 2005

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Linda Lamont-Stewart: George Bowering . In: Jeffrey M. Heath: Profiles in Canadian Literature, Volume 7. Dundurn Press, Toronto 1991, p. 103.
  2. ^ Walter Pache: The Canadian Literature in English. In: Major works of English literature. Individual presentations and interpretations . Volume 2. The 20th Century and the New Literatures Outside England. Individual presentations and interpretations. Kindler's New Literature Lexicon. Compiled by Henning Thies. Kindler Verlag Munich 1995, p. 506.
  3. ^ WF Garrett-Petts: A rhetoric of reading contemporary Canadian narratives. George Bowering, Margaret Atwood, and Robert Kroetsch. Phil. Diss. University of Edmonton 1992.
  4. ↑ George Bowering wins BC lit honor. In: CBC News, April 15, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
  5. ^ Ian Rae: From Cohen to Carson: the poet's novel in Canada. McGill-Queen's University Press, Montréal 2008.
  6. ^ Rudolf Beck, Hildegard Kuester, Martin Kuester (eds.): Basislexikon Anglistische Literaturwissenschaft . UTB, Paderborn u. a. 2007, p. 76.
  7. ↑ Birgit Neumann: Memory - Identity - Narration: genre typology and functions of Canadian "Fictions of Memory". de Gruyter, Berlin 2005, p. 11.
  8. ↑ Interpretation , by Aguinaldo Oliveira
personal data
SURNAME Bowering, George
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian writer, poet, literary critic and university teacher
DATE OF BIRTH December 1, 1935
PLACE OF BIRTH Penticton , British Columbia