Jean Blewett (November 4, 1872 - August 19, 1934)[1] was a Canadian poet and journalist.[2]
Jean Blewett (1872-1934) in Canadian Singers and their Songs, 1919. Courtesy Internet Archive.
| Jean Blewett | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 4, 1872 Scotia, Ontario |
| Died | August 19, 1934 (aged 61) |
| Pen name | Katherine Kent |
| Nationality |
 Canadian |
| Citizenship | British subject |
Life[]
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Blewett, circa 1896. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Family and education[]
Blewett was born Mary Jane McKishnie (or McKishney) in Scotia, Kent County, Ontario,[3] to Janet (MacIntyre) and John McKishnie, both originally from Argyllshire, Scotland. She was related, through her mother, to Gaelic poet Duncan Ban MacIntyre.[4] Her brother Archibald P. McKishnie was a novelist; and her sister, Mrs. W.W. Snider, and cousin, Eve Brodlique Summers, also worked as journalists.[3]
She was educated at St. Thomas Collegiate Institute.[4]
Blewett in Canadian Poets, 1916. Courtesy A Celebration of Women Writers.
Career[]
She married Bassett Blewett in 1889.[4]
She was the editor of the Homemakers Department of the Toronto Globe (later the Globe and Mail) from 1898 to 1925.[5] She also wrote for Everyman's World, sometimes under the pen name Katherine Kent.[3]
She published a novel, Out of the Depths, in 1890,[6] and her debut collection of poetry, Heart Songs, in 1897.[4]
Writing[]
Globe magazine called her a “woman’s poet” and described her verse as "an everyday sort of poetry, simple in theme and treatment, unpretentious, domestic, kindly, humorous and natural".[4] It also called her the “most conspicuous example in Canada of the class of writers who try to bring the plain people into touch with the highest ideals.... Her lessons are of self-denial, and of the power of love to mould men and women.”[7]
Parks Canada calls her a popular poet, whose work was admired by her contemporaries "for the directness and simplicity of theme and form and for the occasional whimsical note".[2]
Recognition[]
Blewett won a prize of $600 from the Chicago Times-Herald for her poem, "Spring."[7]
She was awarded an International Poetry Prize in 1896.[3]
She was declared a Person of National Historic Significance in 1948.[3]
The railroad stop of Blewett, Saskatchewan is purported to be named for her.[5]
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- Heart Songs. Toronto: George N. Morang, 1897.
- The Cornflower, and other poems Toronto: William Briggs, 1906.
- Jean Blewett's Poems. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1922.
Novel[]
- Out of the Depths. 1890.[3]
Short fiction[]
- Heart Stories. Toronto: Warwick Bros. & Rutter, 1919.
Non-fiction[]
- Canadian Woman and Her Work. Toronto: Canadian Suffrage Association, 1900.
- Hearts of Gold: Being chronicles of heroism in Canadian history. Toronto: Ontario Liberal Women's Association, 1915.
Miracles by Jean McKishnie Blewett read by Various - Full Audio Book
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat..[8]
See also[]
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Blewett, Jean (1872-1934), Representative Poetry Online, University of Toronto, UToronto.ca, Web, Nov. 13, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Blewett, Jean (McKishnie), National Historic Person, Parks Canada. Web, July 8, 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Jean Blewett, Canada's Early Women Writers, Simon Fraser University. Web, July 8, 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 John Garvin, "Jean Blewett", Canadian Poets, Toronto: McClelland, Goodchild & Stewart, 1916, 189. A Celebration of Women Writers, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn.edu, Web, Nov. 13, 2011.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Blewett, Saskatchewan, Doug Gent. Web, July 8, 2013.
- ↑ Other sources give 1886 as the date of publication
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Jean Blewett", Poetry Foundation, Web, Nov. 13, 2011.
- ↑ Search results = au:Jean Blewett, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Nov. 3, 2016.
External links[]
- Poems
- "Laura Secord," Niagara Falls Poetry Project
- Jean Blewett 1872-1934 at the Poetry Foundation
- Jean Blewett (1862-1934) at Sonnet Central (2 sonnets)
- 4 poems by Blewett: "The Splendor of the Days," "St. Patrick's Day," "When Trees are Green," "An April Fool of Long Ago"
- Blewett, Jean (1872-1934) (6 poems) at Representative Poetry Online
- Jean Blewett profile & 6 poems in Canadian Poets
- Jean Blewett at Public Domain Poetry (126 poems)
- Jean Blewett at PoemHunter (130 poems)
- Jean Blewett at Poetry Nook (132 poems)
- Audio / video
- Books
- Works by Jean Blewett at Project Gutenberg
- Jean Blewett at Amazon.com
- About
- Blewett, Jean McKishnie, National Historic Person
- Blewett, Jean McKishnie in the Encyclopedia of Canadian Literature
- Blewett, Jean at Canada's Early Women Writers
- "Writer Honors Jean Blewett," Calgary Daily Herald, 1934
- Blewett, Saskatchewan
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