Celebrating Canadian poets
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Today marks the start of National Poetry Month and we're sharing recommendations of our favourite Canadian poets. Officially recognized in Canada in 1998, this annual celebration has brought together a thriving community of poets and poetry enthusiasts alike, with events across Canada catering to a diverse range of communities. Despite widespread cancellations of these events due to COVID-19 lockdowns, Canadian poets have generously continued to share their works online. As they have always done, today's poets give us a more beautiful, truthful and honest lens through which we can view our world and our relationships. While many of us continue to face mounting uncertainty and anxiety, there's no better time to dive into some beautiful verses to stay grounded and connected.
How do I pick just one Leonard Cohen poem? When I think about Canadian poetry, I think first and foremost of Cohen. And when I think of Cohen, I think of Beautiful Losers and the Book of Longing, “Hallelujah” and “Bird on a Wire”— all those essential, evocative works that he created between the 1960s and his death in 2016. The one poem I always come back to is the one I was privileged to witness him read aloud. In 2009, I bought what was then for me a rather expensive ticket to his first tour in 15 years, which became the first and only chance I had to see Leonard Cohen live. And in the middle of the concert, he spoke the lyrics to “A Thousand Kisses Deep” as a poem, which he called “Recitation. Thankfully that tour was recorded, and so we can all relive the sound of the master’s voice, at age 74, delivering what I consider to be a love poem for the ages. — Liisa Ladouceur
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Just like At the Centre, performed here by Tsion Berie, Dr. Afua Cooper's poetry is informed by her Jamaican roots, her pursuit for justice for Black communities as well as her identity as a strong Black woman. She has published five poetry books and was named Halifax's Poet Laureate in 2018. Besides writing and performing poetry on stage, Professor Cooper is also a historian and associate professor of sociology and anthropology at Dalhousie University. You can learn more about her work on her website. — Shazlin Rahman
Gwen Benaway is the winner of the 2019 Governor General's Literary Award in poetry. Her winning collection of poems, Holy Wild, explores the intersection of Indigenous and transgender identities through autobiographical narratives. As a transgender woman of Anishinaabe and Métis descent, Gwen knows what it means to live at the intersection of multiple identities that are often erased or marginalized. She believes a strong mentor is critical for an artist like herself to create art and be heard. Gwen shares her appreciation for her personal mentor, poet Trish Salah in this interview on CBC Arts. — Shazlin Rahman