Miriam Mandel
Encyclopedia
Miriam Mandel was a Canadian poet
who won Canada
's Governor General's Award
.
.
She gained her B.A.
from the University of Saskatchewan
in 1950. In 1949 she married Eli Mandel
, and after her graduation the couple moved to Toronto
where he worked on a Ph.D.
at the University of Toronto
. After he received his doctorate in 1957, they moved to Edmonton
, where he taught at the University of Alberta
until 1967.
Miriam and Eli Mandel had two children, Evie and Charles. In 1967 the couple divorced and Eli Mandel remarried.
Shortly after their marriage broke up, Miriam Mandel began writing poetry. She won the Governor General's Award in 1973 for her first collection, Lions At Her Face.
Miriam Mandel was a long-time sufferer from depression. Patrick Lane
, who was inspired by her to write his 1983 poem "And of the Measure of Winter We Are Sure", later said: "I remembered her from a few years before, a dark, winter night, three in the morning, the two of us out night-walking, separate in our fidelities, through the snow in Edmonton, thirty below, a wind, no one else outside, and passing her, our eyes meeting briefly, a nod, and then passing on, the look on her face not one of despair, but of such a loneliness ... that's why I wrote the poem, remembering Miriam, remembering the hell of an Edmonton winter."
Miriam Mandel died in Edmonton by suicide
.
Novelist Sheila Watson
edited Miriam Mandel's Collected Poems in 1984. The Miriam Mandel fonds is at the University of Calgary.
Except where noted, bibliographic information courtesy University of Saskatchewan.
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 won 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...
's 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...
.
Life
Miriam Mandel was born in Rockglen, SaskatchewanRockglen, Saskatchewan
Rockglen, Saskatchewan, Canada, is a community in the Burning Hills of the Wood Mountain Uplands, providing a school, community hall, public library and five parks, as well a local service industry. The municipal office of Rural Municipality #12 Old Post lies within the boundaries of Rockglen, and...
.
She gained her B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
in 1950. In 1949 she married Eli Mandel
Eli Mandel
Eli Mandel was a Canadian poet, editor of many Canadian anthologies, and literary academic.-Biography:...
, and after her graduation the couple moved to 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...
where he worked on a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. After he received his doctorate in 1957, they moved to Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, where he taught at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
until 1967.
Miriam and Eli Mandel had two children, Evie and Charles. In 1967 the couple divorced and Eli Mandel remarried.
Shortly after their marriage broke up, Miriam Mandel began writing poetry. She won the Governor General's Award in 1973 for her first collection, Lions At Her Face.
Miriam Mandel was a long-time sufferer from depression. Patrick Lane
Patrick Lane
Patrick Lane is an award-winning Canadian poet. He has written in several other genres, including essays, short stories, and is the author of the novel Red Dog, Red Dog.-Biography:...
, who was inspired by her to write his 1983 poem "And of the Measure of Winter We Are Sure", later said: "I remembered her from a few years before, a dark, winter night, three in the morning, the two of us out night-walking, separate in our fidelities, through the snow in Edmonton, thirty below, a wind, no one else outside, and passing her, our eyes meeting briefly, a nod, and then passing on, the look on her face not one of despair, but of such a loneliness ... that's why I wrote the poem, remembering Miriam, remembering the hell of an Edmonton winter."
Miriam Mandel died in Edmonton by suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
Novelist Sheila Watson
Sheila Watson
Sheila Martin Watson was a Canadian novelist, critic and teacher. She "is best known for her modernist novel, The Double Hook." The Canadian Encyclopedia declares that: "Publication of Watson's novel The Double Hook marks the start of contemporary writing in Canada."-Life:She was born Sheila...
edited Miriam Mandel's Collected Poems in 1984. The Miriam Mandel fonds is at the University of Calgary.
Poetry
- Lions at Her Face. Edmonton: White Pelican Publications, 19731973 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Canadian poet and author, Michael Ondaatje adapts his 1970 book of poetry, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, into a play which this year is first produced in Stratford, Ontario; it will appear in...
. - Station 14. Edmonton: NeWest Press, 19771977 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* January – James Dickey, composed a poem he read at new United States President Jimmy Carter’s inaugural gala although not at the inauguration itself.* British publication Gay News successfully...
. ISBN 0920316085 ISBN 978-0920316085 - Where Have You Been?. Edmonton: Longspoon Press, 19801980 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Mark Jarman and Robert McDowell started the small magazine The Reaper to promote narrative and formal poetry....
. ISBN 0919285007 ISBN 9780919285002 - The Collected Poems of Miriam Mandel. Sheila Watson, ed. Edmonton: Longspoon Press, 19841984 in poetryNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:*December 19 - Philip Larkin turns down the British Poet Laureateship, and Ted Hughes becomes Poet Laureate....
. ISBN 0920316506 ISBN 978-0920316504
Non-fiction
- Miriam Mandel et al. Herpes Handbook: A Guide For the Diagnosis and Management of Herpes Genitals. Toronto: R.E.A.C.H., 1981.
- The Miriam Mandel Papers. Sandra Mortensen, compiler; Apollonia Steele and Jean F. Tener, ed. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1990. ISBN 0919813615 ISSN 0831-4497
Except where noted, bibliographic information courtesy University of Saskatchewan.
External links
- Miriam Mandel's article in the Canadian Encyclopedia