Jacques Brault
Encyclopedia
Jacques Brault is a French Canadian
poet
and translator
who currently lives in Cowansville
, Quebec
, Canada
. He was born to a poor family, but received an excellent education at the Université de Montréal
and at the Sorbonne
in Paris
. He became a professor at the Université de Montréal
, in the Département d'études françaises and the Institut des sciences médiévales, and made frequent appearances as a cultural commentator on Radio-Canada
.
Jacques Brault's extensive body of writings includes work of outstanding merit in most literary genre
s. He is the author of plays
, novels and works of short fiction, translations and several seminal works of Canadian literary criticism
. However, it is primarily for his work as a poet
that Jacques Brault is admired by readers and known outside of Canada
.
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
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...
and translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
who currently lives in Cowansville
Cowansville, Quebec
Cowansville is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada, located on Lac Davignon north of the U.S. border. It is the seat of Brome-Missisquoi, a regional county municipality...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
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...
. He was born to a poor family, but received an excellent education at the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
and at the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He became a professor at the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
, in the Département d'études françaises and the Institut des sciences médiévales, and made frequent appearances as a cultural commentator on Radio-Canada
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
Jacques Brault's extensive body of writings includes work of outstanding merit in most literary genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s. He is the author of plays
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, novels and works of short fiction, translations and several seminal works of Canadian literary criticism
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
. However, it is primarily for his work as a 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...
that Jacques Brault is admired by readers and known outside of Canada
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...
.
Works
- Mémoire — 1965
- Allain Grandbois: poètes d'aujourd'hui — 1968
- La poésie ce matin — 1971
- Trois partitions — 1972
- L'en dessous l'admirable — 1975 (translated into English as Within the Mystery)
- Poèmes des quatre côtes — 1975
- Agonie — 1984
- Moments fragiles — 1984 (translated into English as Fragile Moments)
- Poèmes — 1986
- La poussière du chemin — 1989
- Il n'y a plus de chemin — 1990 (translated into English as On the Road No More)
- Lac noire
- Ô saisons, ô châteaux — 1991
- Au petit matin — 1993
- Chemin faisan — 1995
- Au fonds du jardin — accompagnements — 1996
- Au bras de ombres — 1997
Accolades
- Québec-Paris award, for Mé', in 1968
- Governor General's AwardGovernor General's AwardThe 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 Quand nous serons heureux, in 1970
- for Agonie, in 1985
- for his translation of the novel Transfiguration by E.D Blodgett, in 1999
- Alain GrandboisAlain GrandboisAlain Grandbois, was a Canadian Quebecer poet, considered the first great modern one.Traveling around the world in 1918-1939 and sharing the hopes and problems of contemporary man, his work combined the themes of exploring the secrets of the world and studying human destiny, the writing and...
award, for Il n'y a plus de chemin, in 1991 - Ludger DuvernayLudger DuvernayLudger Duvernay was born in Verchères, Quebec, Canada.He was a printer by profession and published a number of newspapers including the Gazette des Trois-Rivières, the first newspaper in Lower Canada outside of Quebec City and Montreal, and also La Minerve, which supported the Parti patriote and...
award (1978) - Athanase DavidAthanase DavidLouis Athanase David was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and businessman. He is son of Laurent-Olivier David, also a Canadian journalist, lawyer, and politician....
award (1986) - Gilles-Corbeil award (1996)