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George Swede. Courtesy Haijinks.

George Swede, (born November 20, 1940 ) is a Canadian poet, psychologist, and children's writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. He is a major figure in English-language haiku, known for his wry, poignant observations.

Life[]

Swede was born as Juris Puriņš in 1940 in Riga, Latvia.

In 1947, he arrived with his mother and stepfather from post-World War II Europe to live with his maternal grandparents on a fruit farm in Oyama, British Columbia.

When his stepfather died in 1950, Swede moved with his mother to Vancouver where he finished junior high and high school.[1]

He then studied at the University of British Columbia, where he graduated with a B.A. in psychology in 1964. After that, he worked briefly as a psychologist at B.C. Penitentiary in New Westminster. In 1965, he earned an M.A. at Dalhousie University.

From 1966 to 1967, Swede was a psychology instructor at Vancouver City College, after which he worked as a school psychologist at the Scarborough Board of Education in Toronto until 1968.

He resumed his academic career at Ryerson University, where he stayed as member of the psychology department from 1968 to 2006 (as chair from 1998 to 2003). Also, from 1970 to 1975 he served as Director for Developmental Psychology at Ryerson Open College, a virtual university which broadcast lectures by radio (on CJRT-FM) and TV (CBC and CTV) from 1970 to 1975; and from 1993 to 2000 he was engaged in Ryerson University Now (RUN),[2] an initiative to get bright but disadvantaged students interested in going to university. This was achieved by enrolling Vaughan Road Academy students[3] in a university level introductory psychology course that Swede taught. Most graduated and many received scholarships to attend university.

Swede began writing poetry in the late 1960s and published in such journals as

An interest in short form Japanese poetry began in 1976 when he was asked to review Makoto Ueda's Modern Japanese Haiku (University of Toronto Press, 1976).[14]

Swede then began publishing in such journals as

In 1977, along with Betty Drevniok and Eric Amann, Swede co-founded Haiku Canada.[23] At its 30th anniversary held in Ottawa in May 2007, Haiku Canada awarded Swede an Honorary Life Membership.

A blending of his interests in poetry and psychology is illustrated by his refereed article in The International Handbook on Innovation, Poetic Innovation, which explores the psychological, sociological and cultural factors that determine whether someone becomes a professional poet.[24]

Swede's work has been reviewed in numerous literary magazines, such as

Reviews and mentions have also appeared in non-literary publications such as

More in depth looks at Swede and his work have occurred in the following places:

  • Ryerson Magazine;[36]
  • Poetry Toronto;[37]
  • Origin;[38]
  • CJRT-FM: Contemporary Poets;[39]
  • What;[40]
  • Canadian Author & Bookman;[41]
  • TVOntario: In Conversation With . . .;[42]
  • Blithe Spirit;[43]
  • BBC Radio 3: Close To Silence;[44]
  • Amanda Hill on George Swede[45]
  • haijinx;[46]
  • Simply Haiku;[47]
  • Simply Haiku;[48]
  • Simply Haiku.[49]

From 2008 to 2012 he was editor of Frogpond, the journal of the Haiku Society of America.[50]

Swede is married to Anita Krumins, who is a professor emerita at Ryerson University, and with whom he has 2 sons: Juris Krumins, an attorney and naturalist in Washington, D.C.; and Andris Krumins, a teacher and musician in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Swede's 1st marriage, from 1964 to 1968, was to Bonnie Lewis, now known as Bonnie Campbell, a psychotherapist in Toronto.

Recognition[]

In 2006, Swede retired and became an emeritus and, in 2007, was awarded Honorary Life Membership by the Canadian Psychological Association. For the 2008-2009 term, he was named the Honorary Curator of the American Haiku Archives[51] at the California State Library in Sacramento, California.

Selected awards[]

  • Co-winner, High/Coo Press Mini-Chapbook Competition, 1982 for "All of Her Shadows"
  • Museum of Haiku Literature Award, "Frogpond", 5:4, 1983
  • Museum of Haiku Literature Award, "Frogpond", 8:2, 1985
  • "Our Choice", Canadian Children's Book Centre, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1992
  • Museum of Haiku Literature Award, "Frogpond", 15:2, 1992
  • First Prize, "Mainichi Daily News" Haiku Contest in English, 1994
  • Second Prize, "Mainichi Daily News" 125th Anniversary Haiku Contest, 1997
  • Third Prize, Harold G. Henderson Haiku Contest, Haiku Society of America, 1997
  • First Prize, The Snapshot Press Tanka Collection Competition 2005 for "First Light, First Shadows"
  • Honorary Curator, American Haiku Archives, 2008/09
  • Second Prize, "Mainichi Daily News" Haiku Contest in English, 2008
  • Second Prize (Tokusen), Foreign Language Category, Kusamakura International Haiku Competition, 2010
  • Grand Prize (Taisho), Foreign Language Category, Kusamakura International Haiku Competition, 2011

Publications[]

Poetry[]

  • Unwinding. Toronto: Missing Link Press, 1974.
  • Tell-tale Feathers. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead, 1978. ISBN 0-920110-56-8
  • Endless Jigsaw. Toronto: Three Trees, 1978. ISBN 0-88823-015-X
  • A Snowman, Headless. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead, 1979. ISBN 0-920110-84-3
  • Wingbeats. La Crosse, WI: Juniper, 1979.
  • As Far As The Sea Can Eye. Toronto: York, 1979. ISBN 0-920424-16-3
  • This Morning's Mockingbird. Battle Ground, IN: High/Coo, 1980. ISBN 978-0-913719-46-6
  • Eye to Eye with a Frog. La Crosse, WI: Juniper, 1981.
  • All of Her Shadows. Battle Ground, IN: High/Coo, 1982. ISBN 978-0-913719-55-8
  • Binary Poem. Toronto: Curvd H&Z, 1982.
  • Biased Sample. Toronto: League of Canadian Poets, 1982.
  • Windo I Drain. Toronto: Curvd H & Z, 1982.
  • Frozen Breaths. Glen Burnie, MD: Wind Chimes, 1983.
  • Lo vers ex chan gin. Weston, ON: Curvd H & Z, 1983.
  • Flaking Paint. Toronto: Underwhich Editions, 1983.
  • Bifids. Toronto: CURVD H&Z, 1984.
  • Night Tides. London, ON: South Western Ontario Poetry, 1984. ISBN 978-0-919139-19-0
  • The Space Between: Binary haiku (with Eric Amann & LeRoy Gorman). Glen Burnie, MD: Wind Chimes, 1986. ISBN 0-941190-16-1
  • Thick Mist, Fish Marked Fish. Toronto: Curvd H & Z, 1986.
  • I Eat a Rose Petal. Aylmer, QC: Haiku Canada, 1987.
  • Multiple Personality. North Vancouver, BC: David UU / Silver Birch, 1987.
  • Tarzan Movie. North Vancouver, BC: David UU / Silver Birch, 1987.
  • Where Even the Factories Have Lawns (with jwcurry). Toronto: Gesture, 1988. ISBN 0-920585-12-4
  • I Throw Stones at the Mountain. Glen Burnie, MD: Wind Chimes, 1988.
  • Mosquitos Bites. Stratford, ON: Three Tree, 1989.
  • Shadows. North Vancouver, BC: David UU / Silver Birch, 1990.
  • I Want to Lasso Time. Toronto, ON, Canada: Simon & Pierre, 1991. ISBN 978-0-88924-234-0
  • Leaving My Loneliness. Pointe Claire, QC: King's Road Press, 1992. ISBN 1-895557-03-8
  • Five O'Clock Shadows (with George Amabile, Leonard Gasparini, Seymour Mayne, & Ted Plantos). Toronto: Letters Bookshop, 1996.[52] ISBN 0-921688-13-X
  • My Shadow Doing Something. Enfield, CT: Tiny Poems, 1997.
  • Bugs. Napanee, ON: pawEpress, 1998.
  • Almost Unseen: Selected haiku (edited by Randy M. Brooks). Decatur, IL: Brooks Books, 2000. ISBN 0-913719-99-4
  • First Light, First Shadows. Liverpool, UK: Snapshot Press, 2006. ISBN 1-903543-19-3; ISBN 978-1-903543-19-1
  • Joy In Me Still. Edmonton, AB: Inkling Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9810725-5-5
  • White Thoughts, Blue Mind Edmonton, AB: Inkling Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9810725-6-2
  • The Steam Tug. Bloomington, IN: XLibris, 2010.
  • Embryo: Eye poems. Toronto : Iņspress, 2013.
  • Micro Haiku: Three to nine syllables. Toronto: Inspress, 2014.

Non-fiction[]

  • The Modern English Haiku (illustrated by Aiko Suzuki). Toronto: Columbine Editions, 1981. ISBN 0-919561-00-4
  • Creativity: A new psychology. Toronto: Wall & Emerson, 1993. ISBN 1-895131-11-1
  • The Psychology of Art: An experimental approach. Toronto: Canadian Scholar's, 1993. ISBN 1-55130-036-2

Juvenile[]

Poetry[]

  • Tick Bird: Poems for children (illustrated by Katherine Helmer). Toronto & New York: Three Trees, 1983. ISBN 0-88823-064-8
  • Time Is Flies: Poems for children (illustrated by Darcia Labrosse). Toronto: Three Trees, 1984) ISBN 0-88823-090-7
  • High Wire Spider: Poems for children (illustrated by Victor Gad). Toronto, ON: Three Trees, 1986. ISBN 0-88823-111-3
  • Leaping Lizard: Poems for children (illustrated by Kimberley Hart). Stratford, ON: Three Trees, 1988. ISBN 0-88823-136-9
  • Holes in My Cage: Poems for young adults. Toronto: Three Trees, 1989. ISBN 0-88823-147-4

Stories[]

  • The Case of the Moonlit Goldust (illustrated by Danielle Jones). Toronto: Three Trees, 1979. ISBN 0-88823-038-9
  • The Case of the Missing Heirloom (illustrated by Danielle Jones). Toronto: Three Trees, 1980. ISBN 0-88823-027-3
  • Quillby, The Porcupine Who Lost His Quills (with Anita Krumins; illustrated by Martin Lewis). Toronto: Three Trees, 1980. ISBN 0-88823-019-2
  • The Case of the Seaside Burglaries (illustrated by Danielle Jones). Toronto: Three Trees, 1981. ISBN 0-88823-044-3
  • The Case of the Downhill Theft (illustrated by Paul Kantorek). Toronto: Three Trees, 1982. ISBN 0-88823-049-4
  • Undertow (with Sarie Jenkins). Toronto: Three Trees, 1982. ISBN 978-0-88823-050-8
  • Dudley and the Birdman (illustrated by Mary McLaughlin).Toronto: Three Trees, 1985) ISBN 0-88823-102-4
  • Dudley and the Christmas Thief. (illustrated by Allan & Deborah Drew-Brook-Cormack). Toronto: Three Trees, 1986. ISBN 0-88823-123-7
  • There will Always be a Sky (illustrated by Chum McLeod). Toronto: Nelson, 1993. ISBN 0-17-604273-3

Edited[]

  • Canadian Haiku Anthology. Toronto, ON: Three Trees, 1979. ISBN 0-88823-017-6
  • Eric Amann, Cicada Voices: Selected haiku, 1966-1979. Battle Ground, IN: High/Coo, 1983. ISBN 0-913719-25-0
  • The Universe is One Poem: Four poets talk poetry (edited with Penny Kemp). Toronto: Simon & Pierre, 1990. ISBN 0-88924-224-0
  • Global Haiku: Twenty-five poets world-wide (edited with Randy Brooks). Oakville, ON, & Niagara Falls, NY: Mosaic, 2000. ISBN 0-88962-713-4
  • Antologia Haiku Kanadyjskiego = Canadian Haiku Anthology (edited with Eva Tomaszewska, translator). Kraków, Poland: Wydawnictswo Krytiki Artsitycznej Miniatura, 2003.[53] ISBN 83-7081-447-6


Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[54]

See also[]

References[]

Notes[]

  1. [1], Swede, G. Tracks in the Sand: Why Do We Write? pp. 56-61
  2. Outreach initiatives build bridges and make university education accessible
  3. Good News At Vaughan Road Academy
  4. [2], 1978, No.33
  5. 1974, No. 644; 1976, No. 665
  6. 1976, 4:3
  7. [3], 1984, 4:2
  8. [4], 1999, 10:6
  9. 1984, 9:1
  10. 1970, Vol. 19:2; 1971, Vol. 20:2; 1974, Vol.23:3; 1985, 34:1
  11. [5], 1986, Vol. 4:2&3, 5:1; 1988, Vol. 6:2; 1998, 10:1; 1999, Vol. 10:2
  12. 1971, No. 58
  13. [6], June, 1981
  14. Swede, G. Tracks in the Sand: Why Do We Write? In Carol Malyon (ed.). Imagination in Action (Toronto: Mercury Press, 2007), p.59
  15. [7], 2004, No. 12 to present
  16. [8], 1996, No. 1 to present
  17. 1977, 1:1 to 1981, 5:1
  18. [9], 1982, 5:1 to the present
  19. 1982, 1:1 to 1991, 5:1
  20. [10], March 1, 1982 to present
  21. [11], 1977, 8:3 to the present
  22. [12], 2003, No. 3 to 2008, No. 1
  23. About Haiku Canada
  24. The International Handbook on Innovation, pp.471-484
  25. [13], 1985, No. 104; 1986, No. 111; 2001, No. 168; 2004, No. 183
  26. [14], January, 1979 (by Pier Giorgio Di Cicco); 1984, 13:10, 1989, 18:3
  27. [15], 1986, No. 41; 1990, No. 59 (by Bert Almon); 1992, No. 67; 2003, Nos. 109-110
  28. [16], March 17, 1970; March 21, 1970; Feb. 7, 1987 (by Tim Wynne-Jones)
  29. [17], Jan. 28, 2001 (by George Elliott Clarke)
  30. [18], March 29, 1987 (by Cor van den Heuvel)
  31. [19] Jan. 25, 1997; Dec. 3, 2000
  32. [20], August 19, 2000 (by David Cobb)
  33. [21] March 21, 1970; January 20, 1985; August 31, 1986; May 2, 1991
  34. [22], May 25, 2008
  35. 1997, Vol. 21:4
  36. 1975, 1:2
  37. 1981, No. 69
  38. 1982, 12:1
  39. [23], Part 1, January 5, 1984 (two hours); Part 2, January 12, 1984 (two hours)
  40. December, 1985
  41. 1992, 67:3
  42. [24], September 21, 1992 (45 minutes)
  43. 1999, 9:2
  44. [25], (with Stephen Gill) August 25, 2000
  45. [26], Spring, 2001
  46. [27], March, 2001
  47. [28], 2003, 1:3
  48. [29], 2004, 2:1
  49. [30], 2006, 4:4
  50. About HSA & Frogpond
  51. Honorary Curator George Swede
  52. George Swede, Writers Union of Canada. Web, Dec. 2, 2015.
  53. Judge's General Commentary, Polish International Haiku Competition, 2013. Web, Dec. 2, 2015.
  54. Search results = au:George Swede, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Dec. 2, 2015.

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