Margaret Christakos
Encyclopedia
Margaret Christakos is a Canadian poet
who lives in Toronto
.
in 1985. She lived in Montreal from 1985 to 1987, settling in Toronto in 1988. She went on to pursue an M.A. in Education from OISE
in the History and Philiosophy of Education in 1995. Christakos held a teaching position at OCAD from 1992-1997. From 2004-2005 she was the University of Windsor
's Canada Council writer in residence. Additionally, she worked under PEN Canada
in the political interests of exiled writers and has contributed to numerous poetry publications and events. She was an editor with Fireweed, with Women's Education des femmes, and with MIX: the magazine of artist-run culture. She currently works with students through the Writers In Electronic Residence (WIER) program and The University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. She has published eight collections of poetry and a novel, numerous chapbooks and has appeared in a diverse range of literary journals and anthologies. She is Publishing Editor of the online poetics magazine Influencysalon.ca, and since 2006 has run the course Influency: A Toronto Poetry Salon.
, Marguerite Duras
, Daphne Marlatt
, and Kathy Acker
, among others.
Christakos writes about the fluid and intersecting lines of sexuality
and identity
. In addition, she explores gender
and motherhood in her work. She has shown an interest in recombinant poetics as well as in autobiography
's formal and social concerns.
Canadian poetry
- Beginnings:The earliest works of poetry, mainly written by visitors, described the new territories in optimistic terms, mainly targeted at a European audience...
who lives in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Life
Christakos was born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario. Christakos received her B.F.A. in Visual Arts from York UniversityYork University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
in 1985. She lived in Montreal from 1985 to 1987, settling in Toronto in 1988. She went on to pursue an M.A. in Education from OISE
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto is a teachers' college in Toronto, Ontario.-History:OISE/UT traces its origins to the founding of the Provincial Normal School in 1847...
in the History and Philiosophy of Education in 1995. Christakos held a teaching position at OCAD from 1992-1997. From 2004-2005 she was the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
's Canada Council writer in residence. Additionally, she worked under PEN Canada
PEN Canada
PEN Canada is one of the 144 centres of International PEN. Founded in 1926, it has a membership of over 1,000 writers and supporters who campaign on behalf of writers around the world who are persecuted, imprisoned and exiled for exercising their right to freedom of expression.Since its founding,...
in the political interests of exiled writers and has contributed to numerous poetry publications and events. She was an editor with Fireweed, with Women's Education des femmes, and with MIX: the magazine of artist-run culture. She currently works with students through the Writers In Electronic Residence (WIER) program and The University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. She has published eight collections of poetry and a novel, numerous chapbooks and has appeared in a diverse range of literary journals and anthologies. She is Publishing Editor of the online poetics magazine Influencysalon.ca, and since 2006 has run the course Influency: A Toronto Poetry Salon.
Work
Many writers have influenced Christakos' appreciation of literature. She has mentioned Nicole BrossardNicole Brossard
Nicole Brossard, O.C. is a leading French Canadian formalist poet and novelist.She lives in Outremont, a former city in Montreal, Quebec. She wrote her first collection in 1965, Aube à la maison. The collection L'Echo bouge beau marks a break in the evolution of her poetry...
, Marguerite Duras
Marguerite Duras
Marguerite Donnadieu, better known as Marguerite Duras was a French writer and film director.-Background:...
, Daphne Marlatt
Daphne Marlatt
Daphne Marlatt, née Buckle, CM , is a Canadian poet who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia....
, and Kathy Acker
Kathy Acker
Kathy Acker was an American experimental novelist, punk poet, playwright, essayist, postmodernist and sex-positive feminist writer. She was strongly influenced by the Black Mountain School, William S...
, among others.
Christakos writes about the fluid and intersecting lines of sexuality
Sexual identity
Sexual identity is a term that, like sex, has two distinctively different meanings. One describes an identity roughly based on sexual orientation, the other an identity based on sexual characteristics, which is not socially based but based on biology, a concept related to, but different from,...
and identity
Identity (social science)
Identity is a term used to describe a person's conception and expression of their individuality or group affiliations . The term is used more specifically in psychology and sociology, and is given a great deal of attention in social psychology...
. In addition, she explores gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
and motherhood in her work. She has shown an interest in recombinant poetics as well as in autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
's formal and social concerns.
Selected bibliography
- Not Egypt (Toronto: Coach House Books, 1988)
- With all my heart i heard u speaking (Toronto: Ice Floe Press, 1991)
- Other Words for Grace (Stratford, Ontario: Mercury Press, 1994)
- The Moment Coming (Toronto: ECW, 1998)
- Wipe Under A Love (Toronto: The Mansfield Press, 2000)
- Charisma (Toronto: Pedlar Press, 2000) (novel)
- Excessive Love Prostheses (Toronto: Coach House Books, 2002)
- Sooner (Toronto: Coach House Books, 2005)
- Retreat Diary (Toronto: Book Thug, 2005)
- Adult Video (Vancouver: Nomados, 2006)
- What Stirs (Toronto: Coach House Books, 2008)
- Welling (Sudbury: Your Scrivener Press, 2010)
External links
- Excerpt from The Moment Coming
- Excerpt from Charisma
- "What's Love Got To Do With It?: two Margaret Christakos poetry collections, wipe.under.a.love & Excessive Love Prostheses" by rob mclennan
See also
- Canadian poetryCanadian poetry- Beginnings:The earliest works of poetry, mainly written by visitors, described the new territories in optimistic terms, mainly targeted at a European audience...