George Elliott Clarke
This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. (February 2024) |
George Elliott Clarke Queen Elizabeth High School | |
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Alma mater | University of Waterloo; Dalhousie University; Queen's University |
Occupations |
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Known for | Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012–2015); Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate (2016–2017) |
George Elliott Clarke,
Life
Clarke was born to William and Geraldine Clarke in
He earned a
In 1999, he became professor of English at the
Clarke is a sought-after conference speaker and is active in poetry circles throughout Canada, the US, the Caribbean, and Europe. He is also a founding member of the music collective Afro-Métis Nation, which put out its first album, Constitution, in May 2019. The group derives its name from the artists' mixed Africadian and Mi'kmaq descent. Clarke has described the group's sound as "a mash-up of southern-fried blues and saltwater spirituals, with Nashville guitars, Mi’kmaw-and-“African” drums, Highland bagpipes and Acadien fiddles."[7]
Writing career
Clarke is recognized both for his own oeuvre, which includes seventeen collections of poetry, two novels, and four works of drama and opera, and for collecting and promoting stories of African-Canadian writers and poets in anthologies and studies such as Border Lines (1995), Eyeing the North Star (1997), Odysseys Home (2002), Fire on the Water (2002), Directions Home (2012) and Locating Home (2017). His artistic influences stretch from
Some of his poetry has also been set to music by the acappella gospel quartet Four the Moment.[9]
He views "Africadian" literature as "literal and liberal—I canonize songs and sonnets, histories and homilies." His poetry and scholarship, which address and challenge historic encounters with racism, segregated areas, discrimination, hatred, forced relocation and a loss of a sense of identity anf belonging experienced by the Black populations of Canada, have earned him worldwide acclaim.
In his anthology Fire On The Water, Clarke uses a biblical timeline stretching from Genesis to Psalms and Proverbs to Revelation to present Black writings and authors born within a specific period. These names reflect the Africadians’ and other Black peoples’ forebears and the first singers' own preferences for singing "the Lord’s song in this strange land."[8] In his most recent book, These Are the Words, a collaboration with Canadian Poet John B. Lee, Clarke translates one of the nine books of the Bible's apocrypha into a vigorous English vernacular.[11] It is a prime example of his wide and open poetic sensibility, in which the spiritual and the sensual have equally their parts.
His intellectual contributions involve both his ability to combine literary criticism and theatrical forte and his continuance of the themes of cultural inclusiveness and Canadian iconic symbolism. In his 2007 play Trudeau: Long March, Shining Path, Clarke features his
In his 2016 and 2017 collections of poems, the names of which, Canticles I (MXXVI) and Canticles I (MMXVII), are a reference to
In his time as Poet Laureate of Toronto, Clarke created the Poets' Corner at City Hall, and worked with the Toronto Public Library to create the Toronto Poetry Map, an electronic map of the city that marks all sites referenced in Canadian poetry, and presents the relevant lines to the viewer. He also founded the East End Poetry Festival. For these accomplishments and more he is credited with expanding the role and responsibilities of the Poet Laureate considerably. Clarke similarly expanded the role of Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate during his tenure, becoming the first to have his poems recited in the Houses and recorded in Hansard.[14]
Family
Clarke is a great-nephew of the late Canadian opera singer Portia White, politician Bill White and labour union leader Jack White. A seventh-generation African Canadian, Clarke is descended from African-American refugees from the War of 1812 who escaped to the British and were relocated to Nova Scotia. He is the great grandson of William Andrew White, an American-born Baptist preacher and missionary, army chaplain, and radio pioneer, who was one of the very few black officers in the British army worldwide during World War I. Clarke also has Mi'kmaq Indigenous ancestry.
Awards and merits
In 1998 Clarke won the Portia White Prize for Artistic Achievement. In 2001, he won the Governor General's Award for poetry for his book Execution Poems, as well as the National Magazine Gold Medal for Poetry. He has also won the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award (2004), the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellowship Prize (2005-2008), the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction (2006), and the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Poetry (2009).[15]
Clarke was appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia in 2006, and to the Order of Canada, at the rank of Officer, in 2008.
On January 16, 2008 Clarke was made an honorary Fellow of the
In November 2012, Clarke became Toronto's fourth Poet Laureate.[17][18]
In January 2016, Clarke became Canada's seventh Parliamentary Poet Laureate.[19] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/nahanni-fontaine-george-elliott-clarke-poems-1.5415924
In 2018, thanks to a gift from Ms. Rebecca Gardiner, the George Elliott Clarke Scholarship Fund was established at Duke University.[20]
His 2021 book J'Accuse! (Poem versus Silence) was shortlisted for the 2022
In 2022, Clarke was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his significant service to the province of Nova Scotia in the field of the Arts.[22]
Bibliography
- "To Paris, Burning," In Constance Rooke (ed.), Writing Away: the PEN Canada Travel Anthology, McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1994.
- Kamboureli, Smaro (1996), Making a Difference: Canadian Multicultural Literature. Toronto: Oxford University Press, pp. 491
- Tracey, Lindalee (1999), A Scattering of Seeds: The Creation of Canada. Toronto: McArthur & Company
- Africadian Atlantic: Essays on George Elliott Clarke. ed. Joseph Pivato. Toronto: Guernica Editions, 2012. ISBN 978-1-55071-627-6
Poetry
- 1983: Saltwater Spirituals and Deeper Blues, Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia: Pottersfield. ISBN 0-919001-12-2
- 1990: ISBN 1-896095-50-X)
- 1994: Lush Dreams, Blue Exile: Fugitive Poems 1978–1993. Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia: Pottersfield. ISBN 0-919001-83-1
- 1999: Gold Indigoes. Durham: Carolina Wren, ISBN 0-932112-40-4
- 2001: Execution Poems: The Black Acadian Tragedy of George and Rue. Wolfville, Nova Scotia: Gaspereau Press, ISBN 1-894031-48-2
- 2001: Blue. Vancouver: Polestar, ISBN 1-55192-414-5
- 2001: Blue II, A Trestle Chapbook in Running With Scissors, Montréal: Cumulus Press, ISBN 0-9683529-4-4
- 2005: Illuminated Verses. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press, ISBN 1-55130-280-2
- 2006: Black. Vancouver: Polestar, ISBN 1-55192-903-1
- 2008: Blues and Bliss: The Poetry of George Elliott Clarke. ISBN 1554580609
- 2009: I & I. Fredericton: Goose Lane, ISBN 978-0-86492-513-8
- 2011: Red. Gaspereau Press, ISBN 9781554470983
- 2013: Lasso the Wind: Aurélia’s Verses and Other Poems. Illus. Susan Tooke. Nimbus Books, ISBN 1771080507
- 2013: Illicit Sonnets. Eyewear Publishing, ISBN 978-1908998064
- 2014: Traverse. Exile Editions, ISBN 1550963953
- 2015: Extra Illicit Sonnets. Exile Editions, ISBN 1550964984
- 2016: Gold. Gaspereau Press, ISBN 9781554471577
- 2016: Canticles I (MMXVI). Guernica Editions, ISBN 9781550719123
- 2017: Canticles I (MMXVII). Guernica Editions, ISBN 9781771831901
- 2017: The Merchant of Venice (Retried). Kentville, Nova Scotia: Gaspereau Press.
- 2018: These Are the Words. Collaboration with John B. Lee. Hidden Book Press, ISBN 978-1-927725-55-9
- 2019: Portia White: A Portrait in Words. ISBN 1771086971
- 2021: J'Accuse! (Poem versus Silence)
Plays
- 1999: Whylah Falls: The Play. Toronto: Playwrights Canada, ISBN 0-88754-565-3
- 1999: ISBN 1-896095-94-1
- 2003: Québécité. Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Gaspereau Press, ISBN 1-894031-74-1
- 2007: Trudeau: Long March, Shining Path. Kentville, Nova Scotia: Gaspereau Press, ISBN 1-55447-037-4
Novels
- 2005: ISBN 0-00-648569-3
- 2016: The Motorcyclist. Toronto: HarperCollins
Memoir
- 2021: Where Beauty Survived
Written Anthologies
- 2023: Whiteout: How Canada Cancels Blackness Nova Scotia, Véhicule Press, ISBN 9781550656077
Anthologies edited
- 1991: Fire on the Water: An Anthology of Black Nova Scotian Writing, Volume One. Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia: Pottersfield, ISBN 0-919001-67-X
- 1992: Fire on the Water: An Anthology of Black Nova Scotian Writing, Volume Two. Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia: Pottersfield, ISBN 0-919001-71-8
- 1995: Border Lines: Contemporary Poems in English. Edited by J.A. Wainwright, George Elliot Clarke and others. Mississauga, Ont.: Copp Clark, 1995. ISBN 0773053425
- 1997: Eyeing the North Star: Directions in African-Canadian Literature. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1997 ISBN 0-7710-2125-9
- 2018: Locating Home: The First African-Canadian Novel and Verse Collections. Tightrope Books, 2018. ISBN 1988040213
Criticism
- 2002: Odysseys Home: Mapping African-Canadian Literature. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, ISBN 0-8020-8191-6
- 2011: Directions Home: Approaches to African-Canadian Literature. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, ISBN 978-0-8020-9425-4
Awards
- 1979: Honourable Mention, Atlantic Writing Competition (Adult Poetry), Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia
- 1981: First Prize, Atlantic Writing Competition (Adult Poetry), Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia
- 1983: Second Prize, Bliss Carman Poetry Award, Banff Centre
- 1991: Archibald Lampman Award for Poetry, Ottawa Independent Writers
- 1998: Portia White Prize, Nova Scotia Arts Council
- 1998: Bellagio Center Fellow, Rockefeller Foundation, New York City
- 1999: Alumni Achievement Award, University of Waterloo
- 2002: Governor General's Awardfor Poetry, for Execution Poems
- National Magazine Gold Award for Poetry
- 2004: Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award, Black Theatre Workshop
- 2006: Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellowship Prize, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
- 2006: Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction
- 2006: Frontieras Poesis Premuil [Prize], Poesis Magazine, International Poetry Festival, Satu Mare, Romania
- 2006: Order of Nova Scotia
- 2007: Longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, for George and Rue
- 2008: Officer of the Order of Canada[23]
- 2009: Shortlisted, Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction
- 2010: Shortlisted, Acorn-Plantos Award for People's Poetry
- 2012: Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Acadia University
- 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
- 2012: Excellence in the Arts Award (Canadian Civil Liberties Association)
- 2012: Appointed by the Toronto City Council to the post of Poet Laureate of Toronto
- 2016: Appointed by The Parliament of Canada to the post of Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate
- 2017: Lifetime Achievement Award, Dalhousie University Alumni Association
- 2017: Trailblazers Award: National Black Canadians Summit, Federation of Black Canadians & Michaëlle Jean Foundation
- 2017: Elected, Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
See also
- Acadia
- Canadian literature
- Canadian poetry
- List of Canadian poets
- List of Canadian writers
- List of University of Waterloo people
References
- ^ "Poet Laureate". City of Toronto. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- The Huffington Post, January 5, 2016.
- ^ Compton, Anne (1998). "Standing Your Ground: George Elliott Clarke in Conversation". Studies in Canadian Literature. 23 (2). Retrieved June 6, 2013.
- ^ Kimber, Stephen (July 26, 2007). "High times". The Coast.
- ^ "George Elliott Clarke". Athabasca University. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ "George Elliott Clarke". Squarespace. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ "The Afro-Metis Nation "Constitution" Project". AfroMetis. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c Clarke, George Elliott, Fire on the Water: Anthology of Black Nova Scotian Writing, Volume One (1991), Porters Lake, Nova Scotia: Pottersfield Press.
- ^ "Four the Moment". The Canadian Encyclopedia, February 7, 2006.
- ^ a b "Gaspereau Press - Home Page". www.gaspereau.com. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ Clarke, George Elliott; Lee, John B. "These Are the Words". Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ^ "Trudeau perfect subject for new opera, Clarke says". cbc.ca. July 12, 2006. Archived from the original on May 10, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ "Canticles I (mmxvii) : George Elliott Clarke". Guernica Editions. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ^ "A Parliament of Poems: An Interview with Parliamentary Poet, George Elliott Clarke". blog.pshares.org. February 11, 2017.
- ^ "MA in the Field of Creative Writing Program Faculty | Biographies". Department of English. Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
- ^ "Poetry That Speaks Truth to Power". April 11, 2014.
- ^ "Council appoints George Elliott Clarke Toronto's new Poet Laureate". City of Toronto. November 28, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ "The bizzaro history of the poet laureate" Archived November 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Toronto Star, July 7, 2016. Bruce Demara.
- ^ "The Parliament Poet Laureate". Parliament of Canada. January 5, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
- ^ "Full Biography". George Elliott Clarke.
- CBC Books, May 2, 2022.
- ^ "Professor George Elliott Clarke was presented with The Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal". Department of English. Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto. November 22, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
- ^ "Governor General Announces New Appointments to the Order of Canada". Archived from the original on September 8, 2009.
External links
Further reading
- Nora Tunkel: Tracing the Lyrics of the Unvoiced: G. E. Clarke, in Tunkel, Transcultural imaginaries. History and globalization in contemporary Canadian literature. Winter, Heidelberg 2012, S. 169–178. = Doct. thesis, Universität Wien, 2009