Elizabeth Smart (December 27, 1913 – March 4, 1986) was a Canadian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

. Her best-known work is the novel ''

By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept ''By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept'' is a 1945 novel in prose poetry by the Canadian author Elizabeth Smart (1913–1986). The work was inspired by Smart's passionate affair with the British poet George Barker (1913–1991). Genes ...

'' (1945), an extended prose poem inspired by her romance with the poet George Barker.

Early life and education

Smart was born to a prominent family in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

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; her father, Russel Smart, was a lawyer, and the family had a summer house on

Kingsmere Lake Kingsmere is a community in Chelsea, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais Regional County Municipality, Outaouais, Quebec, Canada. It is within Gatineau Park and in the National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital ...

located next door to the future

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (french: premier ministre du Canada, link=no) is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Hou ...

William Lyon Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...

.Carson 2000, pp. 187–195. Her sister,

Jane Jane may refer to: * Jane (given name), a feminine given name * Jane (surname), related to the given name Film and television * ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd * ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fil ...

became a filmmaker, teacher and sculptor.Martineau, Barbara Halpern
"Leading Ladies Behind the Camera."
''Cinema Canada'' January–February 1981, p. 23. Smart attended the

Ottawa Normal School The Heritage Building is today part of Ottawa City Hall. It was originally built in 1874 as Ottawa Normal School and served as a teacher's college. The Gothic Revival building stands at Elgin Street and Lisgar and several extensions were added ...

in her formative years, but was soon transferred to the Elmwood School, a private prep school for girls located in an affluent Ottawa neighbourhood. She later attended Hatfield Hall in

Cobourg, Ontario Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It i ...

for secondary school.Barker 2006. At the age of 11, Smart was confined to bed for a year due to a misdiagnosed "leaky heart valve". She began writing at an early age, publishing her first poem at the age of 10 and compiling a collection of poetry at 15.Smart 1986. In her youth, she often kept regular journals, a habit she would keep up throughout most of her life. Smart grew up among the social elite of Ottawa through her father's connections as a lawyer. Her mother often hosted parties for prominent politicians and civil servants. As a result, Smart socialized with many members of Ottawa's political class who were or would become important figures in Canadian history, including acquaintances such as

Graham Spry Graham Spry, CC (February 20, 1900 - November 24, 1983) was a Canadian broadcasting pioneer, business executive, diplomat and socialist. He was the husband of Irene Spry and father of Robin Spry, Richard Spry and Lib Spry. Life He was born ...

, Charles Ritchie,

Lester B. Pearson Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian scholar, statesman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of ...

, and

.Ritchie 2002. Elizabeth Smart at Kingsmere

At the age of 18, following graduation from secondary school, Smart traveled to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

to study music at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

. In 1937, Smart took a job as secretary to the noted Mrs. Alfred Watt, head of the

Associated Country Women of the World The Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) is the largest international organization for both rural and urban women, with a membership of nine million in over 70 countries. ACWW holds a triennial conference and publishes a magazine, ''The Cou ...

, an international organization for rural women, travelling extensively throughout the world accompanying Watt to various conferences. It was during this time that Smart happened across a book of poetry by George Barker, immediately falling in love not only with the poetry, but with the man himself. After her travels with Mrs. Watt, Smart returned to Ottawa, where she spent six months writing society notes for the

women's page The women's page (sometimes called home page or women's section) of a newspaper was a section devoted to covering news assumed to be of interest to women. Women's pages started out in the 19th century as society pages and eventually morphed into ...

of ''

The Ottawa Journal The ''Ottawa Journal'' was a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from 1885 to 1980. It was founded in 1885 by A. Woodburn as the ''Ottawa Evening Journal''. Its first editor was John Wesley Dafoe who came from the ...

''. At parties she would often ask about Barker, saying she wanted to meet and marry him. Soon Smart began a correspondence with the poet.

Relationship with George Barker

Eager to launch her writing career, Smart quit the ''Journal'' and left Ottawa for good. Traveling on her own, she visited New York,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, joining a writers' colony at

Big Sur Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...

. While there, Smart made contact with Barker through

Lawrence Durrell Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell. Born in India to British colonial pare ...

, paying to fly Barker and his wife to the United States from Japan where he was teaching. Soon after meeting, they began a tumultuous affair which was to last for years. In 1941, after becoming pregnant, Smart returned to Canada, settling in

Pender Harbour Pender Harbour is a harbour community on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, on the east side of Malaspina Strait. The harbour itself is an intricate amalgam of bays and coves that encroach inland for five kilometres and provide over 60 kilometres ...

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, ...

to have the child she would name Georgina. Barker attempted to visit her in Canada, but Smart's family influenced government officials: he was stopped at the border and turned back because of "moral turpitude". During this time Smart produced her best-known work, ''

'' (1945). Smart soon returned to the United States and began work as a file clerk for the British embassy in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

."Elizabeth Smart."
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (Historica Canada). Retrieved: April 17, 2016. Two years later, in 1943, during the height of the war, she sailed to the United Kingdom to join Barker. There she gave birth to their second child, Christopher Barker, and obtained employment at the

British Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence (MOD or MoD) is the department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by His Majesty's Government, and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces. The MOD states that its principal objectives are to ...

to support her children. Just 2000 copies of ''By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept'' were published in 1945 by Editions Poetry London, and it did not achieve popularity until its paperback reissue in 1966. It is a fictional work, largely based on Smart's affair with Barker up until that point. "The power of emotion to transform one's perspective on the world," a recent ''Open Letters Monthly'' review of the novel states, "is the theme of this wildly poetic novel. The inspiration for Smart's classic work of prose poetry is just as famous as the book itself. Smart's mother Louise ("Louie") was not pleased with the book. Again availing influence with government officials, she led a successful campaign to have its

publication ban A publication ban is a court order which prohibits the public or media from disseminating certain details of an otherwise public judicial proceeding. In Canada, publication bans are most commonly issued when the safety or reputation of a victim o ...

ned in Canada. Of those copies that made their way into the country from overseas, Louise Smart bought up as many as she could find and had them burned.Sullivan 1991. Barker visited Smart often in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

where she worked. She became pregnant again, and was fired from the Ministry of Information. Their affair produced two more children ( Sebastian, born 1945, and Rose Emma, born 1947). Through it all Barker, who was

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, said he would leave his wife for Smart, but this never happened (he was to have fifteen children by several different women). They lived a bohemian lifestyle and associated with many of the '

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

' artists. Christopher Barker writing in the Guardian about this period noted: "On many occasions through the early Sixties, writers and painters such as

David Gascoyne David Gascoyne (10 October 1916 – 25 November 2001) was an English poet associated with the Surrealist movement, in particular the British Surrealist Group. Additionally he translated work by French surrealist poets. Early life and surrealis ...

, Paddy Kavanagh, Roberts MacBryde and

Colquhoun Colquhoun ( ) is a surname of Scottish origin. Phonetically, MacOlquhoun is similar to MacElhone/MacIlhone and therefore may derive from the name the Gaelic name ''Mac Giolla Còmhghan''. ''Còmhghan'' is derived from ''comh'' ("together") and '' ...

and Paddy Swift wift lived downstairs from Smart and his wife, Agnes, wrote cookbooks with Smartwould gather at Westbourne Terrace in Paddington, our family home at that time. They came for editorial discussions about their poetry magazine, '' X''." In addition to the unconventional nature of the relationship, the affair was fraught with turmoil. Barker was a heavy drinker and Smart took up the habit, which intensified when the two were together. The couple were involved in numerous fights; during one argument, Smart bit off part of Barker's upper lip. Nonetheless, as evidenced from writings in her journals, Smart's love for Barker continued for the remainder of her life.

Single mother and writer

Raising four children on her own, Smart worked for 13 years as an advertising copywriter, becomoing the highest-paid copywriter in England. She joined the staff of ''

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

'' magazine in 1963, later becoming an editor. During this time her physical involvement with Barker waned and she took several other lovers, male and female. Meanwhile, ''By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept'' had been circulating in London and New York, acquiring a cult following that led to its paperback reissue in 1966 and critical acclaim. In the same year, Smart retired from commercial writing and relocated to a cottage in north

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

named "The Dell". It was at The Dell that Smart produced the bulk of her subsequent literary work, much of which has been published posthumously. Eager to make up for the time away from creative writing forced by the demands of raising her children, Smart wrote voluminously and on a number of subjects, poetry and prose, even her passion for gardening. In 1977, following a 32-year absence from the book world, Smart published two new works, ''The Assumption of the Rogues & Rascals'' and a small collection of poetry, titled ''A Bonus''. Later, ''In the Meantime'' (1984), a collection of Smart's unpublished poetry and prose appeared, and her two volumes of journals, ''Necessary Secrets: The Journals of Elizabeth Smart'' (1986) were published posthumously. Smart returned to Canada for a brief stay from 1982 to 1983, becoming writer-in-residence at the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...

. Afterward she spent a year in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

on a

Canada Council 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 i ...

writer's grant before returning to England. In 1986 she died in London of a heart attack. She is buried in St George's churchyard, Saint Cross South Elmham, Suffolk. An hour-long documentary, ''Elizabeth Smart: On the Side of the Angels'' (1991) by

Maya Gallus Maya Gallus is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, and co-founder of Red Queen Productions with Justine Pimlott. Her films have screened at international film festivals, including Toronto International Film Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, ...

starred actor

Jackie Burroughs Jacqueline "Jackie" Burroughs (2 February 1939 – 22 September 2010) was a British-born Canadian actress. Early life Born in Southport, Lancashire (now Merseyside), England, she emigrated to Canada on 26 August 1948 with her mother Edna, ...

as Elizabeth Smart and was narrated by author

Michael Ondaatje Philip Michael Ondaatje (; born 12 September 1943) is a Sri Lankan-born Canadian poet, fiction writer, essayist, novelist, editor, and filmmaker. He is the recipient of multiple literary awards such as the Governor General's Award, the Giller P ...

. The publication of her journals in ''On The Side of the Angels'' brought further posthumous critical appreciation

Influence

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

, former lead singer of the British band

the Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

, has talked of his love for Elizabeth Smart. References to ''By Grand Station Central I Sat Down And Wept'' are found in a number of Smiths songs, in particular "What She Said", "Reel Around The Fountain" and "Well, I Wonder", and as well, the title of the Smiths compilation album ''

Louder Than Bombs ''Louder Than Bombs'' is a compilation album by English rock band the Smiths, released as a double album in March 1987 by their American record company, Sire Records. It peaked at number 62 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. Popular de ...

''. Ian Brown used a passage from Elizabeth's poem ''A Musical Note'' to name his third solo album ''The Music of the Spheres''. Canadian playwright

Wendy Lill Wendy Lill (born November 2, 1950) is a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and radio dramatist who served as an NDP Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2004. Her stage plays have been performed extensively in theatres across Canada as well as inter ...

wrote a play entitled ''Memories of You'' (1989) about the life of Elizabeth Smart.

Works

* Smart, Elizabeth. ''The Assumption of the Rogues and Rascals''. New York: HarperCollins, 1978. . * Smart, Elizabeth. ''A Bonus''. London: Jay Landesman Publishing, 1977. . * Smart, Elizabeth. ''

''. New York: Vintage Press, 1992, First edition 1945. . * Smart, Elizabeth.''The Collected Poems of Elizabeth Smart''. London: Paladin, 1992. . * Smart, Elizabeth. ''Eleven Poems''. Bath, UK: Bath Place Community Arts Press, 1982. * Smart, Elizabeth. ''In the Meantime''. Ottawa: Deneau, 1984. . * Smart, Elizabeth. ''Ten Poems''. Bath, UK: Bath Place Community Arts Press, 1981. * Smart, Elizabeth. ''Elizabeth's Garden: Elizabeth Smart on the Art of Gardening''. Toronto: Coach House Press, 1989. . *Smart, Elizabeth and Agnes Ryan. ''Cooking the French Way (%00 Recipes)''. London: Littlehampton Book Services Ltd., 1966, first edition 1958. .

Edited collections

* Smart, Elizabeth, Christina Burridge ed. ''Autobiographies''. Vancouver: William Hoffer, 1987. * Smart, Elizabeth, Alice Van Wart, ed. ''Necessary Secrets: The Journals of Elizabeth Smart''. Toronto: Harper/Collins Canada, 1987. . * Smart, Elizabeth, Alice Van Wart, ed. ''Juvenilia: Early Writings of Elizabeth Smart''. Toronto: Coach House Press, 1987. . * Smart, Elizabeth, Alice Van Wart, ed. ''On the Side of the Angels: The Second Volume of the Journals of Elizabeth Smart''. Toronto: Harper/Collins Canada, 1997. .

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Barker, Christopher. ''The Arms of the Infinite''. Keighley, UK: Pomona Press, 2006. . * Barker, Christopher. "Life at Tilty Mill" (A sketch by Smart's son Christopher.). ''

Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and ma ...

'' Issue 80, Winter 2002. * Carson, Marilyn. "Elizabeth Smart: Poetry and Passion in Ottawa". in Brooks, Victoria. ''Literary Trips: Following in the Footsteps of Fame 1''. Vancouver: Greatest Escapes, 2000. . * Echlin, Kim. ''Elizabeth Smart: A Fugue Essay on Women and Creativity''. Toronto: Women's Press, 2004.
"Elizabeth Smart."
''Canadian Writers'', an examination of archival manuscripts, typescripts, correspondence, journals and notebooks at Library and Archives Canada. * Fraser, Robert. ''The Chameleon Poet: A Life of George Barker''. London: Jonathan Cape Ltd, 2002. . * Ritchie, Charles. ''My Grandfather's House''. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2002. . * Smart, Elizabeth.''Necessary Secrets: The Journals of Elizabeth Smart''. Toronto: Deneau, 1986. . * Sullivan, Rosemary. ''By Heart: Elizabeth Smart a Life''. Toronto: Viking Canada, 1991. .

External links

Elizabeth Smart's
entry in

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available fo ...

Elizabeth Smart's Grave

Elizabeth Smart: On The Side of the Angels, produced & directed by Maya Gallus
* Archives of Elizabeth Smar
(Elizabeth Smart fonds, R12494)
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 ...

* Correspondence between Elizabeth Smart and Alice Van Wart are held in the archives of Alice Van War
(Alice Van Wart fonds, R16263)
at

* Some archives of Elizabeth Smart collected by Kim Echli
(Kimberly Echlin Collection of Elizabeth Smart Letters, Scrip, and Photographs, R12501)
are held at

. The collection consists of materials gathered by Kim Echlin while she conducted research for her biography of Elizabeth Smart, including letters, a radio script from a BBC production; and publicity photographs of Smart. {{DEFAULTSORT:Smart, Elizabeth 1913 births 1986 deaths Alumni of King's College London Canadian women poets 20th-century Canadian novelists 20th-century Canadian poets Canadian diarists Canadian women novelists Writers from Ottawa 20th-century Canadian women writers Bisexual writers Canadian women non-fiction writers Women diarists Women's page journalists 20th-century diarists 20th-century LGBT people Canadian LGBT novelists Canadian LGBT poets