Irving Peter Layton, OC (March 12, 1912 – January 4, 2006) was a Romanian-born Canadian poet. He was known for his "tell it like it is" style which won him a wide following, but also made him enemies. As T. Jacobs notes in his biography (2001), Layton fought

Puritanism The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...

throughout his life:

Life

Early life

Irving Layton was born on March 12, 1912, as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch in Târgu Neamţ to

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish parents, Moses and Klara Lazarovitch. He migrated with his family to

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...

in 1913, where they lived in the impoverished St. Urbain Street neighbourhood, later made famous by the novels of

Mordecai Richler Mordecai Richler (January 27, 1931 – July 3, 2001) was a Canadian writer. His best known works are ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (novel), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) and ''Barney's Version (novel), Barney's Versi ...

. There, Layton and his family (his father died when Irving was 13) faced daily struggles with, among others, Montreal's French Canadians, who were uncomfortable with the growing numbers of Jewish newcomers.''Poet Irving Layton dies at 93: Was nominated for Nobel Prize'', Chatham Daily News (ON). News, Thursday, January 5, 2006, p.2. Retrieved October 6, 2006. Layton, however, identified himself not as an observant Jew but rather as a

freethinker Freethought (sometimes spelled free thought) is an epistemological viewpoint which holds that beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation, or dogma, and that beliefs should instead be reached by other methods ...

. Layton graduated from Alexandra Elementary School and attended

Baron Byng High School Baron Byng High School was an English-language public high school on Saint Urbain Street in Montreal, Quebec, opened by Governor General of Canada Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy in 1921. The school was attended largely by working-class J ...

, where his life was changed when he was introduced to such poets as

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ' ...

Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

, and Shelley; the novelists

Jane Austen Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

and

George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wro ...

; the essayists

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

Oliver Goldsmith Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, dramatist and poet, who is best known for his novel ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766), his pastoral poem ''The Deserted Village'' (1770), and his pl ...

Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...

, and

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...

; and also

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and Darwin. He was befriended by David Lewis and became very interested in politics and social theory.Smith, p. 155 He joined the Young People's Socialist League or YPSL (commonly pronounced "Yipsel"), which Lewis led. He began reading

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

and

Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, Prose poetry, prose poet, cultural critic, Philology, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philo ...

. His activities in YPSL were deemed a threat to the high school administration, and he was asked to leave before graduating in 1930.Smith, p. 149 It was Lewis who introduced Layton to A. M. Klein. Lewis asked Klein to be Layton's Latin tutor so he could pass the junior matriculation exams. Lewis gave him $10 to pay the fee for the exam and he passed. It was also during his time with Klein that he became interested in the sound of poetry.

Klein and I met once weekly at Fletcher's Field just across from the YHMA on Mt.Royal Avenue, and I vividly recall the first lesson: Virgil's ''Aeneid'', Book II:I
...hearing Klein roll off the Virgilian hexameters in a beautiful orotund voice that rose above the traffic, I think it was then that I realized how lovely and very moving the sound of poetry could be. I must confess my Latin wasn't sufficient to appreciate the sense that Virgil was making with his marvelous hexameters, but Klein's zeal and enthusiasm, his forceful delivery, his very genuine love of language, of poetry, all came through to me at that time. And I think that was most fortunate for me. ...

Klein published Layton's first poem in '' The McGilliad'', the underground campus journal he was editing at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

Emerging poet: the 1930s and 1940s

Despite Layton's limited educational opportunities, his lack of a high school diploma, and his limited finances, he enrolled in

Macdonald College The Macdonald Campus of McGill University (commonly referred to as the ‘Mac Campus’ or simply ’Mac’) houses McGill's Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES), which includes the Institute of Parasitology, the School of Huma ...

(McGill) in 1934 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. While in college, he was well known in artistic circles for his anti-bourgeois attitudes and his criticism of politics. He quickly found that his true interest was poetry, so he pursued a career as a poet, and soon became friends with the emerging young poets of his day, including fellow Canadian poets John Sutherland,

Raymond Souster Raymond Holmes Souster (January 15, 1921 – October 19, 2012) was a Canadian poet whose writing career spanned over 70 years. More than 50 volumes of his own poetry were published during his lifetime, and he edited or co-edited a dozen volumes ...

, and

Louis Dudek Louis Dudek, (February 6, 1918 – March 23, 2001) was a Canadian poet, academic, and publisher known for his role in defining Modernism in poetry, and for his literary criticism. He was the author of over two dozen books. In ''A Digital Hist ...

. In the 1940s, Layton and his fellow Canadian poets rejected the older generation of poets, as well as critic

Northrop Frye Herman Northrop Frye (July 14, 1912 – January 23, 1991) was a Canadian literary critic and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century. Frye gained international fame with his first book, '' Fearful Symmet ...

; their efforts helped define the tone of the post-war generation poets in Canada. Essentially, they argued that English Canadian poets should set their own style, independent of British styles and influences, and should reflect the social realities of the day. In 1936 Layton met Faye Lynch, whom he married in 1938. When Layton graduated from Macdonald College in 1939, he moved with Faye to Halifax, where he worked odd jobs, including a stint as a Fuller Brush salesman. Soon disenchanted with his life, Layton decided to return to Montreal. He began teaching English to recent immigrants to make ends meet and continued doing so for many years. Indecisive about his future and enraged by Hitler's violence toward Jews and destruction of European culture, Layton enlisted in the Canadian army in 1942. While training at

Petawawa Petawawa is a town located in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 18,160 (2021 Census), Petawawa is the most populous municipality in Renfrew County. Geography The town lies on the west ...

, Layton met Betty Sutherland, an accomplished painter (and later poet), and a half-sister to actor

Donald Sutherland Donald McNichol Sutherland (born 17 July 1935) is a Canadian actor whose film career spans over six decades. He has been nominated for nine Golden Globe Awards, winning two for his performances in the television films ''Citizen X'' (1995) an ...

. Layton soon divorced Faye and married Betty. They had two children together: Max Reuben (1946) and Naomi Parker (1950). In 1943 Layton was given an honourable discharge from the army and returned to Montreal, where he became involved with several

literary magazines A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry, and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters ...

including the seminal '' Northern Review'', which he co-edited with John Sutherland. Layton's involvement with David Lewis and the Young People's Socialist League developed into activism with the

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF; french: Fédération du Commonwealth Coopératif, FCC); from 1955 the Social Democratic Party of Canada (''french: Parti social démocratique du Canada''), was a federal democratic socialism, democra ...

(Lewis was the National Secretary at the time). Because of his YPSL activities Layton was blacklisted in the 1930s and banned from entering the United States for the next two decades. While for a time he still considered himself a

Marxist Marxism is a Left-wing politics, left-wing to Far-left politics, far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a Materialism, materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand S ...

, he became

anti-Communist Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...

at the lectures Lewis gave at YPSL and broke with many on the left with his support of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. (Source: ''Toronto Star'', January 5, 2006)

1950s: International "stardom"

"Of the poets who emerged in Montréal during this period," of the early 1950s, "Layton was the most outspoken and flamboyant. His satire was generally directed against bourgeois dullness, and his famous love poems were erotically explicit."Elspeth Cameron,
Layton, Irving Peter
" ''Canadian Encyclopedia'' (Edmonton: Hurtig, 1988), 1190–1191. By the mid-1950s, Layton's activism and poetry had made him a staple on the CBC televised debating program

Fighting Words Fighting words are written or spoken words intended to incite hatred or violence from their target. Specific definitions, freedoms, and limitations of fighting words vary by jurisdiction. The term ''fighting words'' is also used in a general sen ...

, where he earned a reputation as a formidable debater. The publication of ''A Red Carpet for the Sun'' in 1959 secured Layton's national reputation while the many books of poetry that followed eventually gave him an international reputation, never as high however, in the United States and Britain as it was in some countries where Layton was read in translation. In 1946 Layton received an M.A. in economics and political science from McGill, with a thesis on

Harold Laski Harold Joseph Laski (30 June 1893 – 24 March 1950) was an English political theorist and economist. He was active in politics and served as the chairman of the British Labour Party from 1945 to 1946 and was a professor at the London School of ...

. Three years later he began teaching English, history, and political science at the Jewish parochial high school Herzliah (a branch of the

United Talmud Torahs of Montreal United Talmud Torahs of Montreal ( he, הַמְאוּחָדִים בְּמוֹנְטְרִיאָל בּ‬ָ‬תֵי תַלְמוּד תוֹרָה‬, french: Talmud Torahs Unis de Montréal) (also known as The Azrieli Schools, in French: Les é ...

). He was an influential teacher, and some of his students became writers and artists. Among his students was television magnate

Moses Znaimer Moses Znaimer (; born 1942) is a Tajik-born Canadian media executive of jewish descent. He is the co-founder and former head of Citytv, the first independent television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the current head of ZoomerMedia. ...

. Layton continued to teach for the greater part of his life: as a teacher of modern English and American poetry at

Sir George Williams University Sir George Williams University was a university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It merged with Loyola College to create Concordia University on August 24, 1974. History In 1851, the first YMCA in North America was established on Sainte-Hélène S ...

(now

Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...

) and as a tenured professor at Toronto's

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

from 1969 to 1978. At York one of his first students was

Joseph Pivato Joseph Pivato (born February 1946, in Tezze sul Brenta, Italy) is a Canadian writer and academic who first established the critical recognition of Italian-Canadian literature and changed perceptions of Canadian writing. From 1977 to 2015 he was ...

who became a writer, critic and academic. Layton delivering many lectures and readings throughout Canada. Layton pursued his PhD in 1948, but he abandoned it due to the demands of his already hectic professional life. In 1976, he received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University. In the late 1950s, friends introduced Layton to Aviva Cantor, who had emigrated to Montreal from her native Australia in 1955. After several years of painful indecision, Layton and Betty separated, and Layton moved in with Aviva. The two had a son, David, in 1964. Though Layton remained legally married to Betty, his relationship with Aviva lasted more than twenty years, ending only in the late 1970s when Aviva left. Layton also met

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

, with whom he remained friends for life and who dedicated his 2007 book ''The Book of Longing'' to Layton. Layton was also admired by such diverse artists and writers as

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

, among other poets.

Later years

In 1974 Irving met Harriet Bernstein, who was enrolled in his Poetry Workshop at York University. Although he was still living with Aviva, Irving and Harriet began an affair that continued for four years, culminating in their legal marriage in November 1978. In order to marry Harriet, Irving finally took the required legal action to divorce Betty, which he had neglected to do until this time. In 1981 a daughter, Samantha Clara, was born to Harriet and Irving. The marriage ended in a bitterly contested divorce. Layton then met Anna (Annette) Pottier and invited her to be his housekeeper, although it soon became apparent that she would play a far greater role in his life. Although 48 years his junior she became his fifth and last wife. They lived briefly in

Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake is a town in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the river from New York, United States. Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the Niagara Region of On ...

in the fall of 1982 and then spent nearly a year in

Oakville, Ontario Oakville is a town in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton. At its Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census population of 213,759, it is List of tow ...

, before moving to the Montreal district of

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Notre-Dame-de-Grâce ( en, Our Lady of Grace), also nicknamed NDG, is a residential neighbourhood of Montreal in the city's West End, with a population of 166,520 (2016). An independent municipality until annexed by the City of Montreal in 1910, ...

at the end of 1983. It was here that Layton wrote his memoir ''Waiting For the Messiah'' and with Pottier's support saw to the publication of his final books and translations. The couple eventually agreed that Pottier needed to begin a life of her own, and she moved out on March 1, 1995. Friends took care of Layton after he was diagnosed with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

. He died at the Maimonides Geriatric Centre in Montreal at the age of 93 on January 4, 2006. In 2015 Pottier published her memoir, ''Good As Gone: My Life With Irving Layton'' (

Dundurn Press Dundurn Press is one of the largest Canadian-owned book publishing companies of adult and children's fiction and non-fiction. The company publishes Canadian literature, history, biography, politics and arts. Dundurn has about 2500 books in print, ...

, March 14, 2015).

Recognition

Throughout the 1950s and on into the early 1990s Layton travelled widely abroad and became especially popular in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

and Italy. In 1981 these two nations nominated him for the

Nobel Prize for Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

. (The prize that year was instead awarded to Colombian novelist

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...

.) Among his many awards during his career was the

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 ...

for ''A Red Carpet for the Sun'' in 1959. In 1976 he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. He was the first non-Italian to be awarded the Petrarch Award for Poetry. In his lifetime Layton attracted some criticism for his bluster, self-promotion, and long-windedness. He is remembered by many as one of the first Canadian rebels of poetry, politics, and philosophy. At Layton's funeral,

, and David Solway were among those who gave eulogies. A street in Montreal has been named Irving Layton Avenue. It is located behind St.Richards Church and close to the corner of Guelph Road and Parkhaven Avenue. An online scholarly journal, "The Bull Calf" (founded by Kait Pinder and J.A. Weingarten), is named in honour of Layton's famous poem of the same name. He is considered

's literary mentor. Leonard Cohen once said of Layton, "I taught him how to dress, he taught me how to live forever."

Publications

Poetry

*''Here and Now''. Montreal: First Statement Press, 1945. *''Now Is The Place: Stories and Poems''. Montreal: First Statement Press, 1948. *''The Black Huntsmen: Poems''. Montreal: 1951. * With

and

. Cerberus. Toronto: Contact Press, 1952. *''Love the Conqueror Worm''. Toronto: Contact Press, 1953. *''In the Midst of My Fever''. Palma de Mallorca, Spain: Divers Press, 1954. *''The Long Pea-Shooter''. Montreal: Laocoon Press, 1954. *''The Blue Propeller''. Toronto: Contact Press, 1955. *''The Cold Green Element''. Toronto: Contact Press, 1955. *''The Bull Calf and Other Poems''. Toronto: Contact Press, 1956. *''The Improved Binoculars: Selected Poems''. Introduction by

William Carlos Williams William Carlos Williams (September 17, 1883 – March 4, 1963) was an American poet, writer, and physician closely associated with modernism and imagism. In addition to his writing, Williams had a long career as a physician practicing both pedia ...

. Highlands, NC: Jonathan Williams, 1956. 2nd edition 1957. Toronto: Porcupine’s Quill, 1991. *''Music on a Kazoo''. Toronto: Contact Press, 1956. *''A Laughter in the Mind''. Highlands, NC: Jonathan Williams, 1958. 2nd edition Montreal: Editions d'Orphée, 1959. *''A Red Carpet for the Sun''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1959. *''The Swinging Flesh'' Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1961. (poems and stories) *''Balls for a One-Armed Juggler'' Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1963. *''The Laughing Rooster''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1964. *''Collected Poems''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1965. *''Periods of the Moon: Poems''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1967. *''The Shattered Plinths''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1968. *''Selected Poems''. Wynne Francis ed. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1969. London: Charisma, 1977. *''The Whole Bloody Bird: Obs, Aphs & Pomes''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1969. *''Poems to Color'' — 1970 *''The Collected Poems of Irving Layton''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1971. *''Nailpolish''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1971. *''Lovers and Lesser Men''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1973. *''The Pole-Vaulter''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1974. *''Seventy-five Greek Poems, 1951–1974''. Athens: Hermias Publications, 1974. *''The Darkening Fire: Selected Poems, 1945–1968''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1975. *''The Unwavering Eye: Selected Poems, 1969–1975''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1975. *''The Uncollected Poems of Irving Layton: 1936–59''. Ed. W. David John. Ottawa, Ontario: Mosaic Press, 1976. *''For my Brother Jesus''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1976. *''The Poems of Irving Layton''.

Eli Mandel Eli Mandel (December 3, 1922 – September 3, 1992) was a Canadian poet, editor of many Canadian anthologies, and literary academic. Biography Eli Mandel died in relative obscurity. A series of strokes had left him unable to write and, as a r ...

ed. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1977. Also published, with an introduction by

Hugh Kenner William Hugh Kenner (January 7, 1923 – November 24, 2003) was a Canadian literary scholar, critic and professor. He published widely on Modernist literature with particular emphasis on James Joyce, Ezra Pound, and Samuel Beckett. His major ...

, as ''The Selected Poems of Irving Layton''. New York: New Directions, 1977. *''Rhine Boat Trip'' – 1977 *''The Covenant''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1977. *''The Tightrope Dancer''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1978. *''The Love Poems of Irving Layton''. Toronto: Canadian Fine Editions, 1978. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1980. *''Droppings from Heaven''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1979. *''The Tamed Puma''. Toronto: Virgo Press, 1979. *''There Were No Signs''. Toronto: Madison Gallery, 1979. *''For My Neighbours in Hell''. Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press, 1980. *''Europe And Other Bad News''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1981. *''A Wild Peculiar Joy: Selected Poems, 1945–82'' Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1982. 2nd edition 1989
"There Were No Signs" from ''A Wild Peculiar Joy'', online at CBC Words at Large
*''Shadows on the Ground: A Portfolio'' — 1982 *''The Gucci Bag''. Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press, 1983. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1983. Flatiron Book Distributors, 1995. . *''The Love Poems of Irving Layton: With Reverence & Delight''. Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press, 1984. Toronto: Mosaic Press; 2002. *''A Spider Danced a Cosy Jig.'' Toronto: Stoddart, 1984. *''Dance With Desire: Love Poems''. Toronto:McClelland & Stewart, 1986. ''Dance With Desire: Selected Love Poems''. Toronto: Porcupine’s Quill, 1992. *''Fortunate Exile''. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1987. . *''Final Reckoning: Poems, 1982–1986''. Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press, 1987. *''Fornalutx: Selected Poems, 1928–1990.'' Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1992.

Letters

*''An Unlikely Affair: The Irving Layton – Dorothy Rath Correspondence''. Toronto: Mosaic Press, 1990. . *''Wild Gooseberries: The Selected Letters of Irving Layton'' — Toronto: Macmillan, 1989. *''Irving Layton and Robert Creeley: The Complete Correspondence, 1953–1978''. Toronto: McGill-Queens University Press, 1990.Published Works
," IrvingLayton.com, May 7, 2011. . ''Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy University of Toronto.''
," Canadian Poetry Online, Web, May 7, 2011.

Discography

* ''Six Montreal Poets''. New York: Folkways Records, 1957. Includes

A.J.M. Smith Arthur James Marshall Smith (November 8, 1902 – November 21, 1980) was a Canadian poet and anthologist. He "was a prominent member of a group of Montreal poets" – the Montreal Group, which included Leon Edel, Leo Kennedy, A. M. Klei ...

, Irving Layton,

F. R. Scott Francis Reginald Scott (1899–1985), commonly known as Frank Scott or F. R. Scott, was a lawyer, Canadian poet, intellectual, and constitutional scholar. He helped found the first Canadian social democratic party, the Co-operative Commonwe ...

, Louis Dudek, and A.M. Klein. (cassette, 60 mins).F. R. Scott: Publications
" Canadian Poetry Online, UToronto.ca, Web, May 7, 2011. *''Irving Layton at Le Hibou''. c.1962. (L.p.) *''Poems of Irving Layton''. Jewish Public Library, c.1965. (cassette) *''Irving Layton''. Sir George Williams University, 1967. (cassette) *''Irving Layton Reads His Poetry''. Jewish Public Library, c.1967. (cassette) *''An Evening with Irving Layton''. University of Guelph, 1969. (cassette) *''Irving Layton''. High Barnet, c. 1972. (cassette) *''Layton''. Caedmon, c.1973. (LP) *''A Red Carpet for the Sun''. Trent University, 1975. (cassette) *''An Evening with Irving Layton''. Jewish Public Library, 1976. (cassette) *''My Brother Jesus''. Saidye Bronfman Center, 1976. (cassette) *''An Evening with Irving Layton''. Jewish Public Library, 1981. (cassette) *''Irving Layton''. TV Ontario, 1984. 14 mins. (video cassette) *''A Poetry Reading by Irving Layton''. League of Canadian Poets, 1982. (cassette) *''A Wild Peculiar Joy: Selected Poems 1945–82''. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1990. (cassette)
"There Were No Signs" from ''A Wild Peculiar Joy'', online at CBC Words at Large
*''Celebration: Famous Canadian Poets CD'' Canadian Poetry Association – 2001 (with

Earle Birney Earle Alfred Birney (13 May 1904 – 3 September 1995) was a Canadian poet and novelist, who twice won the Governor General's Award, Canada's top literary honour, for his poetry. Life Born in Calgary, Alberta, and raised on a farm in Eri ...

) (CD#1) ''Except where noted, discographical information courtesy University of Toronto.''

Notes

References

* * Deveau, Scott
"Canadian poet Irving Layton dies at 93"
The Globe and Mail. January 4, 2006. *Faas, Ekbert. (1990) ''Irving Layton and Robert Creeley: The Complete Correspondence 1953-1978.'' McGill-Queen's University Press. * *

External links

Official website

Irving Layton
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

Order of Canada Citation

Canadian Poetry Online: Irving Layton
– Biography *

"The Globe and Mail: Today's Poet / Irving Layton"

"University of Saskatchewan's Irving Layton Collection"

''Poet: Irving Layton Observed''
a 1986

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

documentary
The Irving Layton Collection, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Records of Irving Layton are held by Simon Fraser University's Special Collections and Rare Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Layton, Irving 1912 births 2006 deaths 20th-century Canadian poets Canadian male poets Anglophone Quebec people Jewish Canadian writers Canadian people of Romanian-Jewish descent Canadian modernist poets Canadian socialists Neurological disease deaths in Quebec Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Governor General's Award-winning poets Jewish poets Officers of the Order of Canada Writers from Montreal People from Târgu Neamț Romanian emigrants to Canada Romanian Jews 20th-century Romanian poets Concordia University faculty Romanian male poets McGill University Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences alumni 20th-century Canadian male writers