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Elizabeth Brewster

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by George J. Dance

Elizabeth Winifred Brewster, CM (August 26, 1922 - December 26, 2012) was a Canadian poet and academic.[1]

Elizabeth Brewster (1922-2012). Courtesy InMemoriam.ca.

Elizabeth Brewster (1922-2012). Courtesy InMemoriam.ca.

Life[]

Youth and education[]

Brewster was born in Chipman, New Brunswick, a small logging town.[2]

She began writing poetry at the age of 9 or 10.[2]

She earned a B.A. degree from the University of New Brunswick (UNB) in 1946, an M.A. from Radcliffe College in 1947, a Bachelor of Library Science from the University of Toronto in 1952, and a Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1962.[2] At UNB, she was a member of Alfred Bailey's Bliss Carman Society, and a founding member of The Fiddlehead poetry magazine in 1945.[3]

During the 1950s and 1960s she worked as a librarian at libraries across Canada, including the New Brunswick Legislative Library.[2]

She taught English at the University of Victoria, 1960-1961, and at the University of Alberta, 1970-1971. She began teaching English at the University of Saskatchewan in 1972, and remained there until her retirement as a full professor in 1990.[4]

In 1951 Ryerson Press issued her debut poetry collection, East Coast.[4]

She began writing fiction in the 1970's, publishing her earliest novel in 1974 and an early collection of short stories in 1977.[2]

She was a life member of the League of Canadian Poets.[4]

Writing[]

New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia: "During her long and prestigious career, Brewster embraced a variety of styles. Originally published in the era of second-generation Canadian modernism, her early poetry is clearly modernist. By eschewing the grandiose metaphors and erudite vocabulary popular in that era, however, her poems favour a colloquial voice that seems on the surface to be almost prosaic. Beneath her straightforward diction dwells great intelligence and a shrewd eye for powerful, if subdued, details."[2]

Recognition[]

Brewster received a honorary doctorate from UNB in 1982.[2]

She was given a Lifetime Award for excellence in the arts from the Saskatchewan Arts Board in 1985.[4]

Her poetry collection Footnotes to the Book of Job was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for English language poetry in 1996.[2]

In 2001, she became a Member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honor.[2]

Her poetry was anthologized in the Penguin Book of Canadian Verse and other publications.

Publications[]

Poetry[]

  • East Coast. Toronto: Ryerson, 1951.
  • Lillooet. Toronto: Ryerson, 1954.
  • Roads and other poems. Toronto: Ryerson, 1957.
  • Five New Brunswick Poets (Elizabeth Brewster, Fred Cogswell, Robert Gibbs, Alden Nowlan, Kay Smith). Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1962.[5]
  • Passage of Summer: Selected poems. Toronto: Ryerson, 1969.
  • Sunrise North. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1972.
  • In Search of Eros. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin, 1974.
  • Sometimes I Think of Moving. Ottawa: Oberon, 1977.
  • The Way Home. Ottawa: Oberon, 1982.
  • Digging In. Ottawa: Oberon, 1982.
  • Selected Poems, 1944-1977. Ottawa: Oberon, 1985.
  • Selected Poems, 1977-1984. Ottawa: Oberon, 1985.
  • Entertaining Angels. Ottawa: Oberon, 1988.
  • Spring Again. Ottawa: Oberon, 1990.
  • Wheel of Change. Ottawa: Oberon, 1993.
  • Footnotes to the Book of Job. Ottawa: Oberon, 1995.
  • Garden of Sculpture. Ottawa: Oberon, 1998.
  • Burning Bush. Ottawa: Oberon, 2000.
  • Jacob's Dream. Ottawa: Oberon, 2002.
  • Collected Poems of Elizabeth Brewster 1. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 2004.[6]
  • Collected Poems of Elizabeth Brewster 2. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 2004.
  • Bright Centre. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 2005.
  • Time and Seasons. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 2009.

Musical settings of poems[]

  • Winter flowers: for alto soloist, chorus & orchestra. Music by Nancy Telfer, c.1980, words by Elizabeth Brewster.
  • The Ballad of Princess Caraboo (with music by Nancy Telfer). Oakville, ON: F. Harris Music, 1983.

Novels[]

  • The Sisters. Ottawa: Oberon, 1974.
  • Junction. Windsor, ON: Black Moss Press, 1982.

Short fiction[]

  • It's Easy to Fall on the Ice: Ten stories. Ottawa: Oberon, 1977.
  • A House Full of Women. (stories) Ottawa: Oberon Press, 1983.
  • Visitations. (stories) Ottawa: Oberon Press, 1987.

Non-fiction[]

  • The Invention of Truth (memoir). Ottawa: Oberon, 1991.
  • Away From Home (memoir). Ottawa: Oberon, 1995.
Where_i_come_from_elizabeth_brewster

Where i come from elizabeth brewster


Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy Brock University.[7]

See also[]

References[]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ Elizabeth Brewster, InMemoriam.ca. Web, May 16, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Justin Joschko, Elizabeth Brewster, New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia, Spring 2009, St. Thomas University. Web, Mar. 30, 2017.
  3. ↑ Introduction, Fiddlehead/Cogswell papers (UARG83), UNB Archives, Lib.UNB.ca, Web, Oct. 29, 2011.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bob Ivanochko, "Elizabeth Brewster," Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, URegina.ca, Web, Oct. 29, 2011.
  5. ↑ Greg Cook, Selected Bibliography of Works by Alden Nowlan, English-Canadian Writers, Centre for Language and Literature, Athabasca University, AthabascaU.ca, Web, June 9, 2012.
  6. ↑ Jean Wilson, "Brewster, Elizabeth Winifred," Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Foundation-Dominion Institute, TheCanadianEncyclopedia.ca, Web, Oct. 29, 2011.
  7. ↑ Elizabeth Brewster 1922 -, Canadian Women Poets, Brock University, BrockU.ca, Web, July 1, 2012.

External links[]

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