Susan Musgrave (born March 12, 1951) is a Canadian poet and children's writer. She was born in Santa Cruz, California, to Canadian parents, and currently[when?] lives in British Columbia, dividing her time between Sidney and Haida Gwaii. She has been nominated several times for Canada's Governor General literary awards.[1]
Susan Musgrave | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 1951 Santa Cruz, California |
| Occupation | Author, poet |
| Genre | Poetry, fiction, children's literature |
| Spouse | |
Musgrave left school at 14, and had her first works published at 16.[1] In 1986, at a wedding held in prison,[1] she married Stephen Reid, a writer, convicted bank robber and former member of the infamous band of thieves known as the Stopwatch Gang. Their relationship was chronicled in 1999 in the CBC series The Fifth Estate.[2]
Musgrave defended Al Purdy's collection of poetry, Rooms for Rent in the Outer Planets: Selected Poems, 1962–1996, in Canada Reads 2006, a nationally broadcast radio "battle of the books" competition.[3]
She currently[when?] teaches creative writing in the University of British Columbia's optional residency Master of Fine Arts program.[citation needed]
Musgrave's archives are held by the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections at McMaster University.[citation needed]
Her book Exculpatory Lilies was shortlisted for the 2023 Griffin Poetry Prize.[4]
Bibliography
Poetry
- Songs of the Sea-Witch — 1970
- Entrance of the Celebrant — 1972
- Grave-Dirt and Selected Strawberries — 1973
- Gullband Thought Measles was a Happy Ending — 1974
- The Impstone — 1976
- Selected Strawberries and Other Poems — 1977
- Kiskatinaw Songs — 1978
- Becky Swan's Book — 1978
- A Man to Marry, A Man to Bury — 1979 (nominated for a Governor General's Award)
- Tarts and Muggers — 1982
- Right through the Heart — 1982
- Cocktails at the Mausoleum — 1985
- The Embalmer's Art — 1991
- Forcing the Narcissus — 1994
- Things That Keep and Do Not Change — 1999
- What the Small Day Cannot Hold: Collected Poems 1970-1985 — 2000
- When the World Is Not Our Home: Selected Poems 1985-2000 — 2009
- Obituary of Light: the Sangan River Meditations — 2009
- Origami Dove — 2011
- Exculpatory Lilies - 2022
Fiction
- The Charcoal Burners — 1980 (nominated for a Governor General's Award)
- The Dancing Chicken — 1987
- Cargo of Orchids — 2000
- Given — 2012
Non-fiction
- Great Musgrave — 1989
- Musgrave Landing: Musings on the Writing Life — 1994
- You're in Canada Now... Motherfucker: A Memoir of Sorts — 2005
- A Taste of Haida Gwaii: Food Gathering and Feasting at the Edge of the World — 2015
Children's literature
- Gullband — 1980
- Hag Head — 1980
- Kestrel and Leonardo — 1990
- Dreams Are More Real than Bathtubs — 1998
- Kiss, Tickle, Cuddle, Hug" — 2012
- Love You More — 2012[5]
Compiled or edited by Musgrave
- Because You Loved Being a Stranger: 55 Poets Celebrate Patrick Lane — 1994
- Nerves Out Loud: Critical Moments in the Lives of Seven Teen Girls — 2001
- You Be Me: Friendship in the Lives of Teen Girls — 2002
- The Fed Anthology — 2003
- Certain Things About My Mother: Daughters Speak — 2003
- Perfectly Secret: The Hidden Lives of Seven Teen Girls — 2004
Song lyrics
- "Ode to the missing but not forgotten" — 2006 (performed by the guitarist Brad Prevedoros and singer Amber Smith)[6]
References
External links
- Susan Musgrave's website
- Susan Musgrave (Winter 2006). "from Sangan River House". Ascent. Archived from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
- Musgrave at "English-Canadian writers", Athabasca University, by J. McKay. Additional Link: Bibliography of works about Musgrave
- "Susan Musgrave fonds - Search Research Collections". William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections, McMaster University Library. Retrieved September 30, 2019.