photo of stacks (lower floor)

Canadian Literature & Poetry
in English

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer Literary and Poetic Culture

Encyclopedias, Dictionaries & Handbooks

The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Literature Sugars, Cynthia, editor A comprehensive, authoritative guide to many different genres, topics, and aspects of Canadian literary history, including gay and lesbian literature.
The Gay and Lesbian Literary Heritage: A Reader’s Companion to the Writers and Their Works, from Antiquity to the Present Summers, Claude J., editor Includes an entry, “Canadian Literature in English”, pages 127–132, authored by Douglas Chambers. It outlines the history, publishing, as well as major works and authors associated with LGBTQ literary works and themes. A bibliography with further readings and related sources accompanies the article.

Anthologies

Desire, High Heels, Red Wine Archer, Timothy, et al. The writing ranges from the comedy of Sonja Mills to the lyrical poetry of Margaret Webb, from the dialogue of Sky Gilbert to the short stories of Timothy Archer.
Sexing the Maple: A Canadian Sourcebook Dickinson, Peter, and Richard Cavell, editors A sourcebook that raises issues of nationalism and sexuality in Canada through a rich and diverse selection of fiction, poetry, criticism, and history. The collection considers topics as wide-ranging as First Nations sexuality, censorship, assisted reproduction, and religion. It contains literary works by Alice Munro, Jane Rule, Timothy Findley, Leonard Cohen, Irving Layton, Lynn Crosbie, Michael Turner, and many others.
Dykewords: An Anthology of Lesbian Writings Lesbian Writing and Publishing Collective, editors Texts in the collection are diverse, covering lesbian love, cultural identity, overcoming alcohol abuse, coming out, and lesbian history.
Q2Q: Queer Canadian Performance Texts Dickinson, Peter, et al., editors A snapshot of Canadian contemporary queer performance practices-from playwriting to drag to performance art to spoken word to digital performance.
Q2Q: Queer Canadian Theatre and Performance Dickinson, Peter, et al., editors This collection seeks to understand why it is important not just to continue to tell queer stories on stage, but also to piece together the larger historical narrative of Canadian queer theatrical production and reception through academic research. Contributors include Kym Bird, Sky Gilbert, Moynan King, Evalyn Parry, Richie Wilcox, Jay Whitehead, T. Berto, Eury Chang, Cameron Crookston, Spy Dénommé-Welch, Dirk Gindt, Stephen Low, Sean Metzger, Cordula Quint, Trish Salah, Sarah Garton Stanley, and Laine Zisman Newman.

History, Literary Interpretation & Criticism

Queer Canlit: Canadian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Literature in English: An Exhibition Rayter, Scott, et al. Includes an essay on Queer CanLit by Scott Rayter, illustrations, bibliographical references, and photographs of the exhibition.
“Queerly Canadian: Introduction” Stewart, Janice
Here is Queer: Nationalisms, Sexualities and the Literatures of Canada Dickinson, Peter Considers how the interconnected concepts of nationalism and sexuality have helped shape the production and reception of Canadian and First Nations literatures.
Small Things: A Random Selection of Anti-Essays Gilbert, Sky
War Is Here: the Vietnam War and Canadian Literature McGill, Robert In the chapter entitled “Queering Canada,” McGill examines the role of American draft dodgers as queer figures in three Canadian novels: Morton Redner’ Getting Out, Mark Satin’s Confessions of a Young Exile, and Timothy Findley’s The War.
Cultural Grammars of Nation, Diaspora, and Indigeneity in Canada McCall, Sophie, et al., editors Examines how the terms of critical debate in literary and cultural studies in Canada have shifted with respect to matters of race, nation, and difference.

reviewed & updated 11 November 2021 | compiled by Agatha Barc, MI