Don McKay
Encyclopedia
Don McKay, CM
(born 1942) is an award-winning Canadian
poet
, editor
, and educator.
Born in Owen Sound
, Ontario
and raised in Cornwall
, McKay was educated at the University of Western Ontario
and the University of Wales
, where he earned his PhD
in 1971. He taught creative writing and English for 27 years in universities including the University of Western Ontario and the University of New Brunswick
.
McKay is the author of twelve books of poetry, including Long Sault (1975), Lependu (1978), and Apparatus (1997). He has twice won the Governor General's Award
, for Night Field (1991) and Another Gravity (2000). In June 2007, he won the Griffin Poetry Prize
for Strike/Slip (2006).
Although McKay has been publishing since 1973, literary writing on his poetry is recent. Much critical examination of his work is yet to be done.
He has made a wide impression as a teacher and editor. He is the co-founder and manuscript reader for Brick Books, one of Canada's leading poetry presses, and was editor of the literary journal The Fiddlehead
from 1991-96. He has participated in the Sage Hill Writing experience in Saskatchewan
and he is Associate Director for poetry at the Banff Centre for the Arts Writing Studio. He has edited many books by fellow poets, including Ken Babstock
, George Elliot Clarke, Tim Lilburn
, Barbara Colebrook Peace, and Michael Redhill
.
McKay is an avid birdwatcher
; and bird themes and flight are dominant topics in his poetry. In Birding, or Desire (1983), the quirky protagonist is never far from his Birds of Canada hobbyist's field guide. McKay's passion for birds and nature percolates throughout all of his work. McKay sees his writing as “nature poetry in a time of environmental crisis.” McKay's poems are ecologically centred, inspired by the conflict between inspiration and spiritual, instinct and knowledge. Other members of this emerging group of “ecopoets” include Tim Lilburn
, Dennis Lee
, Roo Borson
, Robert Bringhurst
, and Jan Zwicky
.
His book of poetic philosophy Vis à Vis: Field Notes on Poetry & Wilderness, details many of McKay's beliefs on metaphor, wildness, and the homing instinct. McKay's essay “Baler Twine,” touches on his main poetic themes as well as those of Matériel and poetic attention.
In 2008, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born 1942) is an award-winning Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, and educator.
Born in Owen Sound
Owen Sound, Ontario
Owen Sound , the county seat of Grey County, is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and raised in Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
, McKay was educated at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
and the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
, where he earned his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1971. He taught creative writing and English for 27 years in universities including the University of Western Ontario and the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
.
McKay is the author of twelve books of poetry, including Long Sault (1975), Lependu (1978), and Apparatus (1997). He has twice won the Governor General's Award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
, for Night Field (1991) and Another Gravity (2000). In June 2007, he won the Griffin Poetry Prize
Griffin Poetry Prize
The Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin. The awards go to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language....
for Strike/Slip (2006).
Although McKay has been publishing since 1973, literary writing on his poetry is recent. Much critical examination of his work is yet to be done.
He has made a wide impression as a teacher and editor. He is the co-founder and manuscript reader for Brick Books, one of Canada's leading poetry presses, and was editor of the literary journal The Fiddlehead
The Fiddlehead
The Fiddlehead is a Canadian literary magazine, published four times annually at the University of New Brunswick.The journal was established in 1945 by Alfred Bailey as an in-house publication for the Bliss Carman Poetry Society; it was converted into a general literary magazine in 1952...
from 1991-96. He has participated in the Sage Hill Writing experience in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and he is Associate Director for poetry at the Banff Centre for the Arts Writing Studio. He has edited many books by fellow poets, including Ken Babstock
Ken Babstock
Ken Babstock is a Canadian poet. He was born in Newfoundland and raised in the Ottawa Valley. Babstock began publishing his poems in journals and anthologies, winning gold at the 1997 Canadian National Magazine Awards...
, George Elliot Clarke, Tim Lilburn
Tim Lilburn
Tim Lilburn is a Canadian poet and essayist. He is the author of several critically acclaimed collections of poetry, including Kill-site, To the River, Moosewood Sandhills and his latest work Going Home...
, Barbara Colebrook Peace, and Michael Redhill
Michael Redhill
Michael Redhill is an American-born Canadian poet, playwright and novelist.Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Redhill was raised in the metropolitan Toronto, Ontario area. He pursued one year of study at Indiana University, and then returned to Canada, completing his education at York University and the...
.
McKay is an avid birdwatcher
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
; and bird themes and flight are dominant topics in his poetry. In Birding, or Desire (1983), the quirky protagonist is never far from his Birds of Canada hobbyist's field guide. McKay's passion for birds and nature percolates throughout all of his work. McKay sees his writing as “nature poetry in a time of environmental crisis.” McKay's poems are ecologically centred, inspired by the conflict between inspiration and spiritual, instinct and knowledge. Other members of this emerging group of “ecopoets” include Tim Lilburn
Tim Lilburn
Tim Lilburn is a Canadian poet and essayist. He is the author of several critically acclaimed collections of poetry, including Kill-site, To the River, Moosewood Sandhills and his latest work Going Home...
, Dennis Lee
Dennis Lee (author)
Dennis Beynon Lee, OC, MA is a Canadian poet, teacher, editor, and critic born in Toronto, Ontario. He is also a children's writer, well known for his book of children's rhymes, Alligator Pie.-Life:...
, Roo Borson
Roo Borson
Ruth Elizabeth Borson, who writes under the name Roo Borson is a Canadian poet who lives in Toronto. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia....
, Robert Bringhurst
Robert Bringhurst
Robert Bringhurst is a Canadian poet, typographer and author. He is the author of The Elements of Typographic Style – a reference book of typefaces, glyphs and the visual and geometric arrangement of type...
, and Jan Zwicky
Jan Zwicky
Jan Zwicky is a Canadian philosopher, poet, essayist, and musician.She received her B.A. from the University of Calgary and earned her PhD at the University of Toronto in 1981 where her studies focussed on the philosophy of logic and science...
.
His book of poetic philosophy Vis à Vis: Field Notes on Poetry & Wilderness, details many of McKay's beliefs on metaphor, wildness, and the homing instinct. McKay's essay “Baler Twine,” touches on his main poetic themes as well as those of Matériel and poetic attention.
In 2008, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Poetry
- Air Occupies Space (19731973 in literatureThe year 1973 in literature involved several significant events and the writing of many notable books.-Events:*September 25 - The funeral of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda becomes a focus for protests against the new government of Augusto Pinochet...
) - Long Sault (19751975 in literatureThe year 1975 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* August 12 — with the 20-year time limit stipulated by Thomas Mann at his death having expired, sealed packets containing 32 of the author's notebooks were opened in Zurich, Switzerland.* Writing under the...
) - Lependu (19781978 in literatureThe year 1978 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, a humorous award given annually to books with unusual titles is created. The first winner was Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude...
) - Lightning Ball Bait (19801980 in literatureThe year 1980 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Marguerite Yourcenar becomes the first woman to be elected to the Académie française....
) - Birding, or Desire (1983) (nominated for a Governor General's Award1983 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1983 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:*Leon Rooke, Shakespeare's DogOther Finalists:...
) - Sanding Down this Rocking Chair on a Windy Night (19871987 in literatureThe year 1987 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tom Wolfe was paid $5 million for the film rights to his novel, The Bonfire of the Vanities, the most ever earned by an author, at the time.-Fiction:...
) - Night Field (1991) (winner of the 1991 Governor General's Award for poetry1991 Governor General's AwardsEach winner of the 1991 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit received $10,000 and a medal from the Governor General of Canada. The winners were selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-Fiction:Winner:...
) - Apparatus (1997) (nominated for a Governor General's Award1997 Governor General's AwardsThe winners of the 1997 Governor General's Literary Awards were announced on November 18 by Donna Scott, Chairman of the Canada Council for the Arts...
) - Another Gravity (2000) (shortlisted for the 2001 Canadian Griffin Poetry PrizeGriffin Poetry PrizeThe Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin. The awards go to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language....
) - Varves (2003; chapbook)
- Camber (2004) (shortlisted for the 2005 Canadian Griffin Poetry PrizeGriffin Poetry PrizeThe Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin. The awards go to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language....
) - Strike/Slip (2006) (winner of the 2007 Canadian Griffin Poetry PrizeGriffin Poetry PrizeThe Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin. The awards go to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language....
and the Dorothy Livesay Poetry PrizeDorothy Livesay Poetry PrizeThe Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, established in 1986, is awarded annually to the best collection of poetry by a resident of British Columbia, Canada.One of the B.C. Book Prizes, the award was originally known as the B.C. Prize for Poetry...
) - Field Marks: The Poetry of Don McKay edited by Méira Cook (2006)
- Song for the Songs of Birds, audiobook (2008)
- Leaf to leaf-Foglio a foglia (Italian translation by Sara Fruner and Filippo Mariano), edited by Angelo Longo (2010)
Other
- Vis à Vis: Field Notes on Poetry & Wilderness (2002) (nominated for a Governor General's Award for Nonfiction2002 Governor General's AwardsThe 2002 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were presented by Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, at a ceremony at Rideau Hall on Tuesday, November 19...
) - Deactivation West 100 (2005)
- The Muskwa Assemblage (2009)
External links
- "Pond" from Strike/Slip, on CBC Words at Large
- Griffin Poetry Prize biography
- Griffin Poetry Prize readings, including video clips
- "The Poetry of Don McKay" by Stan Dragland (from University of Toronto Quarterly)
- "Faulty Lines: The Poetry and Poetics of Don McKay" by Zachariah Wells
- Gaspereau Press interview with Don McKay
- Poet of the Month from CBC Words at Large (April 2007)
- Don McKay contributes to the What Is Stephen Harper Reading? project
- Don McKay Papers, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
- Don McKay fonds, Library and Archives Canada