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Bruce Whiteman

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Bruce Whiteman (born David Bruce Whiteman, June 18, 1952) is a Canadian poet, translator, editor, and essayist whose writings focus on music, bibliography, cultural history, and literature. Born in Southern Ontario and educated at Trent University and the University of Toronto,[1] in 1996 Whiteman was appointed director of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library at the University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held until 2010.[2] Currently Whiteman lives in Peterborough, Ontario,[3] and contributes book reviews and essays regularly to publications such as TriQuarterly, Rattle, and the Los Angeles Review of Books.[4][5][6]

Poetry

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Although he has published extensively as a rare books librarian, scholar, and critic, Whiteman has called writing poetry "the part of my life I'm most passionate about."[7] Known primarily as a prose poet who has been compared to fellow Canadian poets Christopher Dewdney and bpNichol,[8][9] Whiteman's opus magnum is The Invisible World is In Decline, a continuing long poem he began working on in 1981 and which was first published in 1984; the work now comprises eight books, with the ninth and final volume due for publication in 2022.[10] A 2015 publication entitled Tablature marked Whiteman's return to the sort of verse poetry that characterized much of his earlier work.[11]

Selected publications

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Poetry

  • The Sad Mechanic Exercise. Kentville, NS: Gaspereau Press, 2019.
  • Tablature. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2015.
  • Intimate Letters. Toronto: ECW Press, 2014.
  • The Invisible World Is in Decline, Books I-VI. Toronto: ECW Press, 2006.
  • Tristia. Pasadena: Vero Press, 2002.
  • XXIV Love Poems. Sherman Oaks: Ninja Press, 2002.
  • The Invisible World Is in Decline, Book V. Toronto: ECW Press, 2000.
  • The Forger Contemplates Rossetti. Los Angeles: Lyceum Press, 2000.
  • Visible Stars: New and Selected Poems. Dorion: The Muses' Company, 1995.
  • Zukofsky Impromptus. Toronto: Sin Tax, 1995.
  • Polyphonic Windows. Montreal: Poets & Painters Press, 1993.
  • The Invisible World Is in Decline, Books II-IV. Toronto: Coach House Press, 1989.
  • En avoir fini avec le corps seul. Le Sambuc: La Presse des Poètes et des Peintres d'Outre-Mer, 1987.
  • A Nature Murder. Hamilton: Poets & Painters Press, 1985.
  • Recesses in the Heart: The Thera Poems. Toronto: blewointmentpress, 1984.
  • The Invisible World Is in Decline. Toronto: Coach House Press, 1984.
  • The Cold Engineering of the World. Toronto: League of Canadian Poets, 1983.
  • The Thera Poems. North Walsham: Warren House Press, 1982.
  • 10 Lessons in Autobiography. Guelph: Gryphon Press, 1981.
  • Inventions. Toronto: Three Trees Press, 1979.
  • The Sun At Your Thighs, The Moon At Your Lips. Toronto: Piraeus Press, 1978.
  • 12 Poems, 12 Drawings. With M.W. Jewell. Toronto: Poets & Painters Press, 1978.

Translation

  • Tiberianus. Pervigilium Veneris. New York: Russell Maret, 2009.
  • Catullus. LXXXV/CV: Two Poems in Five Essays. Fullerton: Lyceum Press, 2006.
  • François Charron. After 10,000 Years, Desire: Selected Recent Poems. With Francis Farley-Chevrier. Toronto: ECW Press, 1995.

Cultural History

  • Best Canadian Essays 2021. Windsor: Biblioasis, 2021.
  • The World from Here: Treasures of the Great Libraries of Los Angeles. Los Angeles: UCLA Armand Hammer Museum, 2001. Edited by Bruce Whiteman and Cynthia Burlingham.
  • J.E.H. Macdonald. Kingston: Quarry Press, 1995.
  • Lasting Impressions: A Short History of English Publishing in Quebec. Montreal: Véhicule Press, 1994.
  • The Letters of John Sutherland, 1942-1956. Toronto: ECW Press, 1992.
  • A Bibliography of Macmillan of Canada Imprints 1906-1980. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1985.
  • Raymond Souster and His Works. Toronto: ECW Press, 1985.
  • Raymond Souster: A Descriptive Bibliography. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 1984.
  • A Literary Friendship: The Correspondence of Ralph Gustafson and W.W.E. Ross. Toronto: ECW Press, 1984.
  • Leonard Cohen: An Annotated Bibliography. Downsview: ECW Press, 1980.

References

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  1. ^ "Bruce Whiteman". California Rare Book School. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  2. ^ "Finding Aid for the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library Institutional Archive 1934-2010: Subseries 6. Bruce Whiteman, 1996-2010". Online Archive of California (OAC). Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  3. ^ Contributor's biographies. Biblioasis. 10 December 2019. ISBN 9781771963336. Retrieved 17 December 2019. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "Contributor biography". TriQuarterly Online. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  5. ^ Whiteman, Bruce. "Dark Archive by Laura Mullen". Rattle. Rattle Foundation. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  6. ^ Whiteman, Bruce. "A Serious Man Whose Love Will Last: On Two New Classical Translations by David R. Slavitt". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on 2012-04-01.
  7. ^ Scudder, Kirby. "Bruce Whiteman". Inspired by California. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  8. ^ "1984". Tweny/20. Coach House Books. Archived from the original on 2014-04-25. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  9. ^ "Publisher's description: The Invisible World is In Decline". Inigo.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  10. ^ "The Invisible World Is in Decline Book IX". ECW Press. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  11. ^ "Tablature". Quill and Quire. 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2021-11-30.