RIP: Irving Layton

A Canadian great, dead at 93.


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The greatest of Canadian poets and one of my favourite poets from any country or era. No one lived the "inescapable lousiness of growing old" as he did the last fifteen-odd years, so it's a welcome, though no less sad, piece of news to hear it's over. Wish I'd known you, Israel.

More Layton encomium

And deservedly so. That old lech was, on average, a great poet--his most enduring work cancelling out the scads of dross. Star. Reuters. JTA. Spectator. Gazette/VC Sun.


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Edited by author 01-06-2006 06:06 PM
Gotta love the backhanded compliment from Bowering in the Star piece. Fun game: go through the archives and see what Irving's said about George, Charles Olson and the TISHites...

What about Cameron's "breakthrough" comment. Was what Irving did actually breaking through, or was it just "first Canuck through the breach"?

G

More Irving

A little more Irving, clinging to headlines, worldwide.


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RIP: Joe Sherman (1945-2006)

Ninja-reader poet and critic Zach Wells writes in with this obituary: "PEI poet Joe Sherman, the author of four poetry collections and two more forthcoming, died today in Charlottetown, a few months after his diagnosis with cancer of the liver. Joe's precisely laconic, often witty, poetry dealt with themes both personal and social, particularly Jewishness. He was actively involved in the arts as a curator, editor and journalist, and encouraged emerging poets from PEI as a publisher with Saturday Morning Chapbooks. He is survived by his wife Ann and children Matthew and Rebekah."


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This is sad, sad news.

Joe was -- as has been noted -- a fine poet, and a really generous man in so many senses. He'll certainly be missed. Having met and worked worked with him at the LCP, I'm sure I speak for many when I say he had a huge impact on the arts scene here in Atlantic Canada.

Yeah, Joe was a real mensch, big-hearted, smart and funny, as anyone who read his quirky column in Charlottetown's The Buzz can attest. His end came very quickly and far too soon. He's going to be missed by a lot of people, especially on the Island. Shalom, Joe.

Irving gets his NYT obit

Here. (I thought our country's highest honour was scoring a goal against Russia in international hockey. You know, like five of them. You learn something new every day.)


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I didn't realize Cid Corman was Canadian, or is that a mistake?

It's a mistake. Neither was Jonathan Williams. That obit is embarrassingly full of factual inaccuracies. From the Times?! I know, shocking...

Hello,

A good site is www.irvinglayton.com. May this wonderful poet be remembered for his mind blowing significance.

Hey anonymous, love that poem about the Western wind you did. What are you working on these days?

Joseph Sherman obit

David Helwig remembers poet and cultural philanthropist Joe Sherman in the Globe and Mail. (Thanks, Z)


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Irving's London obit

In the Guardian.


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