Robert Bringhurst
[Appointments to the Order of Canada (2013).] (born 16 October 1946) is a Canadian poet,
typographer
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing ( leading), an ...
and author. He has translated substantial works from
Haida
Haida may refer to:
Places
* Haida, an old name for Nový Bor
* Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands
* Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia
Ships
* , a 1 ...
and
Navajo
The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States.
With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
and from classical
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
. He wrote ''
The Elements of Typographic Style
''The Elements of Typographic Style'' is a book on typography and style by Canadian typographer, poet and translator Robert Bringhurst. Originally published in 1992 by Hartley & Marks Publishers, it was revised in 1996, 2001 (v2.4), 2002 (v2.5), ...
'', a reference book of
typefaces
A typeface (or font family) is the design of lettering that can include variations in size, weight (e.g. bold), slope (e.g. italic), width (e.g. condensed), and so on. Each of these variations of the typeface is a font.
There are thousands o ...
,
glyphs
A glyph () is any kind of purposeful mark. In typography, a glyph is "the specific shape, design, or representation of a character". It is a particular graphical representation, in a particular typeface, of an element of written language. A g ...
and the visual and geometric arrangement of type. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in June 2013.
He lives on
Quadra Island
Quadra Island is a large island off the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Discovery Islands, in the Strathcona Regional District.
Etymology
In 1903, the island was named after the Peruvian Spanish n ...
, near
Campbell River, British Columbia
Campbell River, or Wiwek̓a̱m, is a city in British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of Discovery Passage, which lies along the 50th parallel north along the important Inside Passage shipping route. Campbell River ...
(approximately 170 km northwest of
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
) with his wife,
Jan Zwicky
Janine Louise Zwicky (born 10 May 1955) is a Canadian philosopher, poet, essayist, and musician. She was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022.
Life and career
Zwicky received her BA from the University of Calgary and earned her PhD at the U ...
, a poet and philosopher.
Life
Bringhurst was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
,
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
, Alberta, and
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. He studied architecture,
linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
, and
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
, and
comparative literature
Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression across linguistic, national, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries. Comparative literature "performs a role similar to that of the study ...
and philosophy at the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
. He holds a BA from
Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universit ...
(1973) and an
MFA in
creative writing
Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...
from the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
(1975).
In 2006, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the
University of the Fraser Valley
The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), formerly known as University College of the Fraser Valley and Fraser Valley College, is a Canadian public university with campuses in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission and Hope, British Columbia. Founded ...
,
[Russell (2006).] and in 2016 was awarded a Doctor of Letters (hon. causa) by
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, and Vancouver. The main Burnaby campus on Burnaby Mountain, located from ...
.
[SFU announces, 2016.]
Bringhurst taught literature,
art history
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
and
history of typography at several universities and held
fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
ships from the
Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal in ...
, the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC; french: Conseil de recherches en sciences humaines du Canada, CRSH) is a Canadian federal research-funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and traini ...
, the American Philosophical Society, and the
Guggenheim Foundation.
Literary career
His 1992 publication, ''
The Elements of Typographic Style
''The Elements of Typographic Style'' is a book on typography and style by Canadian typographer, poet and translator Robert Bringhurst. Originally published in 1992 by Hartley & Marks Publishers, it was revised in 1996, 2001 (v2.4), 2002 (v2.5), ...
'' was praised as "the finest book ever written about typography" by the type designers
Jonathan Hoefler
Jonathan Hoefler (; born August 22, 1970) is an American typeface designer. Hoefler founded the Hoefler Type Foundry in 1989, a type foundry in New York.
Early life
Jonathan Hoefler was born on August 22, 1970, in New York City to Doreen Ben ...
and
Tobias Frere-Jones
Tobias Frere-Jones (born Tobias Edgar Mallory Jones; August 28, 1970) is an American type designer who works in New York City. He operates the company Frere-Jones Type and teaches typeface design at the Yale School of Art MFA program.
Among his ty ...
.
["Frequently Asked Questions".] A collection of his poetry, ''The Beauty of the Weapons'', was short-listed for a
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
in 1982, and ''A Story as Sharp as a Knife'', his work on Haida symbolism, was nominated for a
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
in 2000. Bringhurst won the
Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence The Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence is administered by the BC Book Prizes and recognizes a writer who has contributed significantly to the development of literary excellence in British Columbia, as well as having written a substa ...
in 2005, an award which recognizes British Columbia writers who have contributed to the development of literary excellence in the Province.
Work in Haida
Bringhurst has a strong interest in linguistics, translating works from classical Greek, Arabic, Navajo, and, most significantly, Haida. His interest in
Haida
Haida may refer to:
Places
* Haida, an old name for Nový Bor
* Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands
* Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia
Ships
* , a 1 ...
culture stems from his friendship and close association with the influential Haida artist
Bill Reid
William Ronald Reid Jr. (12 January 1920 – 13 March 1998) ( Haida) was a Canadian artist whose works include jewelry, sculpture, screen-printing, and paintings. Producing over one thousand original works during his fifty-year career, Reid is ...
, with whom he wrote ''The Raven Steals the Light'' in 1984, among several other significant collaborations. It was this friendship that in 1987 "started Bringhurst on the philanthropic endeavour of recording the Haida canon".
[Richler (2001).] The result of this labour was a trilogy of works collectively titled ''Masterworks of the Classical Haida Mythtellers''. The essays in its first volume, A Story As Sharp As A Knife, and particularly its nineteenth chapter, "The Prosody of Meaning," constitute an important contribution to the understanding of the poetics of oral literatures.
His translations from Haida have been viewed as an attempt to preserve the Haida culture, which in 1991 was considered part of a group "likely to be lost unless strong efforts are made very quickly to perpetuate them".
[Kinkade (1991).] The Haida translation has caused some controversy. Bringhurst was accused of academic exploitation and cultural appropriation.
[Bradley (2007).] In 2001, the
CBC radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
program
''Ideas'' aired a two part series called "Land to Stand On." The series' first episode featured "a string of Haida claiming
..that Bringhurst's work is 'about keeping us in our place,' written 'without asking us,'" and "replete with 'serious errors twisting it into the poetry that he wants'".
In 1999, the ''Globe and Mail'' published a report on the Haida reaction to ''A Story as Sharp as a Knife'' by Adele Weder.
[Weder (1999).] Weder's piece was later criticized for citing only two Haida sources, claiming they could speak for the entire Haida community, and was described as an "inflammatory article ... not likely to be mistaken for exemplary journalism".
[Bradley (2007) 895.] ''The Globe and Mail'' published Bringhurst's response,
[Bringhurst "Since when" (1999).] which was later called "considerably more measured".
[Bradley (2007) 896.]
In 2001, Jeff Leer reviewed ''A Story as Sharp as a Knife'' saying Bringhurst has neither formal linguistic education
[Leer (2000).] nor significant experience with spoken Haida,
[Leer (2000), 576.] and doubting Bringhurst's ability to translate from Haida. Leer's review compared Bringhurst's work unfavourably to Enrico's ''Skidegate Haida Myths and Histories'', and referred to the Weder review as an authoritative source. Leer's publisher, the ''International Journal of American Linguistics'', retracted the review and apologized to Bringhurst for publishing:
Most academic discussion and recognition of Bringhurst's work in Haida has been positive. Linguist
Dell Hymes
Dell Hathaway Hymes (June 7, 1927 in Portland, Oregon – November 13, 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia) was a linguist, sociolinguist, anthropologist, and folklorist who established disciplinary foundations for the comparative, ethnographic stu ...
wrote a review of the ''Masterworks of the Classical Haida Mythtellers'' trilogy (of which ''A Story as Sharp as a Knife'' is part) in ''Language in Society'',
[Hymes (2003).] praising the trilogy. He said it "should become a classic reference point"
[Hymes (2003), 750.] for Haida scholars in the future. In 2004, Bringhurst won the Edward Sapir Prize for ''Masterworks of the Classical Haida Mythtellers''.
["Edward Sapir Book Prize" (2004).] The committee giving the award was headed by
Leanne Hinton
Leanne Hinton (born 28 September 1941) is an American linguist and emerita professor of linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley.
Education and career
Hinton received her PhD in 1977 from UC San Diego, with a dissertation entitle ...
, an expert in American Indian languages, and chair of the Department of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley.
["Edward Sapir Prize" (2005).]
![Robert Bringhurst](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Robert_Bringhurst.jpg)
Bringhurst has been defended by
Margaret Atwood
Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, nin ...
, who says that "territorial squabbling cannot obscure the fact that Bringhurst's achievement is gigantic as well as heroic", and that far from appropriating native voices, ''Masterworks of the Classical Haida Mythtellers'' "restores to life two exceptional poets we ought to know".
[Atwood (2004).] The CBC documentary was attacked in print for relying "entirely on the fallacy, convenient to the producers, that Bringhurst had not consulted with any Haida".
Bringhurst with the help of Bill Reid had spent the better part of the previous decade working with members of the Haida community.
People from other indigenous Canadian communities, such as late Cree elder Wilna Hodgson,
CM,
SOM,
[Past Recipients (2012).] have also defended Bringhurst. In a letter to the editor of ''
Books In Canada
''Books in Canada'' was a monthly magazine that reviewed Canadian literature, published in print form between 1971 and 2008. In its heyday it was the most influential literary magazine in Canada.
Foundation
One of the co-founders of ''Books in Ca ...
'', she called ''A Story as Sharp as a Knife'' "a gift to First Nation people across
anada
Anada (russian: Анада; av, АнгӀада) is a rural locality (a selo) in Khidibsky Selsoviet, Tlyaratinsky District, Republic of Dagestan, Russia. The population was 49 as of 2010.
Geography
Anada is located 19 km north of Tlyarata ...
, and a true "masterpiece in the growing genre of spoken texts". In her opinion, Bringhurst's "efforts are clearly informed with the kind of integrity that all translators might strive to emulate".
[Hodgson (2000).]
Bringhurst says that "culture is not genetic" and that he pays respect to Native American languages like Haida by allowing works from those languages to be appreciated as art by as wide an audience as possible.
["Prize Winning Poet" (2011).] He says he always intended his translations to be "
xercisesin literary history, not in the interpretation of present-day Haida culture".
Bibliography
Poetry
* ''The Shipwright's Log'', 1972
* ''Cadastre'', 1973
* ''Deuteronomy'', 1974 (Sono Nis Press, Delta, British Columbia, Canada)
* ''Eight Objects'', 1975 (Kanchenjunga Press)
* ''Bergschrund'', 1975
* ''Tzuhalem's Mountain'', 1982
* ''The Beauty of the Weapons: Selected Poems 1972–82'', 1982, nominated for a
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
; 1985 (
Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington.
Copper Canyon Press publishes new collections of poetry by both popu ...
)
* ''Tending the Fire'', 1985
* ''The Blue Roofs of Japan'', 1986 (Barbarian Press)
* ''Pieces of Map, Pieces of Music'', 1986, 1987 (
Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington.
Copper Canyon Press publishes new collections of poetry by both popu ...
)
* ''Conversations with a Toad'', 1987
* ''The Calling: Selected Poems 1970–1995'', 1995
* ''Elements'', with drawings by
Ulf Nilsen, 1995
* ''The Book of Silences'', 2001
* ''Ursa Major'', 2003, short-listed for the 2004
Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize The Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, established in 1986, is awarded annually to the best collection of poetry by a resident of British Columbia, Canada.
One of the BC and Yukon Book Prizes, the award was originally known as the B.C. Prize for Poetry. ...
* ''New World Suite Number Three: A Poem in Four Movements for Three Voices'', 2006
* ''Selected Poems'', 2009 (Gaspereau Press)
* ''Selected Poems'', 2010 (Jonathan Cape)
* ''Selected Poems'', 2012 (
Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington.
Copper Canyon Press publishes new collections of poetry by both popu ...
)
* ''Stopping By'', 2012 (Hirundo Press)
* ''Going Down Singing'', 2016 (Two Ponds Press)
Prose
* ''Ocean/Paper/Stone'', 1984
* ''The Raven Steals the Light'', with
Bill Reid
William Ronald Reid Jr. (12 January 1920 – 13 March 1998) ( Haida) was a Canadian artist whose works include jewelry, sculpture, screen-printing, and paintings. Producing over one thousand original works during his fifty-year career, Reid is ...
, 1984
* ''Shovels, Shoes and the Slow Rotation of Letters'', 1986
* ''The Black Canoe: Bill Reid and the Spirit of Haida Gwaii'', with photographs by
Ulli Steltzer
Ulli Steltzer (2 October 1923 – 27 July 2018) was a German photographer best known for her works photographing First Nations people and art in B.C., Canada, including Haida artist Bill Reid. Steltzer had numerous exhibits in and around Vancouver ...
, 1991
* ''Boats Is Saintlier Than Captains: Thirteen Ways of Looking at Morality, Language, and Design'', 1997
* ''Native American Oral Literatures and the Unity of the Humanities'', 1998
* ''A Short History of the Printed Word'', with
Warren Chappell
Warren Chappell (1904, Richmond, Virginia – March 26, 1991, Charlottesville, Virginia) was an American illustrator, book and type designer, and author
An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definiti ...
, 1999
* ''A Story as Sharp as a Knife: The Classical Haida Mythtellers and Their World'', 1999, nominated for a
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
; 2nd ed., 2011
* ''
The Elements of Typographic Style
''The Elements of Typographic Style'' is a book on typography and style by Canadian typographer, poet and translator Robert Bringhurst. Originally published in 1992 by Hartley & Marks Publishers, it was revised in 1996, 2001 (v2.4), 2002 (v2.5), ...
'', 1992, revised 1996, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2012
* ''The Solid Form of Language: An Essay on Writing and Meaning'', 2004
* ''The Tree of Meaning: Thirteen Talks'', 2006
* ''Everywhere Being Is Dancing'', 2007
* ''The Surface of Meaning: Books and Book Design in Canada'', 2008
* ''What Is Reading For?'', 2011
* ''Palatino: The Natural History of a Typeface'', 2016 (Book Club of California)
Translation
* Volumes 2 and 3 of the trilogy ''Masterworks of the Classical
Haida
Haida may refer to:
Places
* Haida, an old name for Nový Bor
* Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands
* Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia
Ships
* , a 1 ...
Mythtellers'' (volume 1, ''A Story as Sharp as a Knife'', is a prose work about Haida literature and is not primarily a work of translation)
** Ghandl of the Qayahl Llaanas, ''Nine Visits to the Mythworld'' (a collection of stories by the myth-teller Ghandl, as collected in 1900 by
John Reed Swanton
John Reed Swanton (February 19, 1873 – May 2, 1958) was an American anthropologist, folklorist, and linguist who worked with Native American peoples throughout the United States. Swanton achieved recognition in the fields of ethnology and ethn ...
), 2000, short-listed for the 2001 Canadian
Griffin Poetry Prize
The Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin.
Before 2022, the awards went to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language. ...
**
Skaay Skaay was a blind, crippled storyteller of the Haida village of Ttanuu born c. 1827 at Qquuna. Skaay could neither read nor write, but his stories of Haida mythology have survived in the form of written transcriptions taken down by John Swanton ...
of the Qquuna Qiighawaay, ''Being in Being: The Collected Works of a Master Haida Mythteller'' (a collection of stories by the myth-teller
Skaay Skaay was a blind, crippled storyteller of the Haida village of Ttanuu born c. 1827 at Qquuna. Skaay could neither read nor write, but his stories of Haida mythology have survived in the form of written transcriptions taken down by John Swanton ...
, as collected by
John Reed Swanton
John Reed Swanton (February 19, 1873 – May 2, 1958) was an American anthropologist, folklorist, and linguist who worked with Native American peoples throughout the United States. Swanton achieved recognition in the fields of ethnology and ethn ...
), 2001
*
Parmenides
Parmenides of Elea (; grc-gre, Παρμενίδης ὁ Ἐλεάτης; ) was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Elea in Magna Graecia.
Parmenides was born in the Greek colony of Elea, from a wealthy and illustrious family. His dates a ...
, ''The Fragments'', 2003
* Skaay of the Qquuna Qiighawaay, ''Siixha/Floating Overhead: The Qquna Cycle §3.3'', 2007
Edited works
* ''Visions: Contemporary Art in Canada'', 1983
* Jan Tschichold, ''The Form of the Book: Essays on the Morality of Good Design'', 1991
* Bill Reid, ''Solitary Raven: The Essential Writings'', 2000; 2nd ed., 2009
* ''Carving the Elements: A Companion to the Fragments of Parmenides'', 2004
* François Mandeville, ''This Is What They Say'', translated from Chipewyan by Ron Scollon, 2009
* Kay Amert, ''The Scythe and the Rabbit: Simon de Colines and the Culture of the Book in Renaissance Paris'', 2012
Commentary
* ''Listening for the Heartbeat of Being: The Arts of Robert Bringhurst'', edited by Brent Wood and Mark Dickinson – 2015
Citations
General references
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Further reading
* Brent Wood, Mark Dickinson (eds.): ''Listening for the Heartbeat of Being: The Arts of Robert Bringhurst'', Montreal; Kingston; London; Chicago: McGill-Queen's University Press 2015,
External links
Griffin Poetry Prize biographyGriffin Poetry Prize reading, including video clip* (video)
Records of Robert Bringhurst are held by Simon Fraser University's Special Collections and Rare Books* The archives of Robert Bringhurs
(Robert Bringhurst fonds (R11716)are held at
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bringhurst, Robert
1946 births
20th-century Canadian male writers
20th-century Canadian poets
20th-century Canadian translators
21st-century Canadian male writers
21st-century Canadian poets
21st-century Canadian translators
American emigrants to Canada
Canadian male non-fiction writers
Canadian male poets
Canadian typographers and type designers
Design writers
Indiana University Bloomington alumni
Living people
Officers of the Order of Canada
University of Utah alumni
Writers from British Columbia
Writers from Los Angeles