Gwendolyn MacEwen
| Gwendolyn MacEwen | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Gwendolyn Margaret MacEwen 1 September 1941 Toronto, Ontario |
| Died | 29 November 1987 (aged 46) Toronto, Ontario |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Education | High school dropout, autodidact |
| Notable awards | Governor General's Award |
| Gwendolyn MacEwen Park | |
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| Location | Walmer Rd at Lowther Ave, Toronto |
| Coordinates | 43°40′07″N 79°24′22″W / 43.66861°N 79.40611°W |
| Operated by | Toronto Parks |
Gwendolyn Margaret MacEwen (1 September 1941 – 29 November 1987) was a Canadian poet and novelist. A "sophisticated, wide-ranging and thoughtful writer," she published more than 20 books in her life. "A sense of magic and mystery from her own interests in the Gnostics, Ancient Egypt and magic itself, and from her wonderment at life and death, makes her writing unique.... She's still regarded by most as one of the best Canadian poets."
MacEwen was born in Toronto, Ontario. Her mother, Elsie, spent much of her life as a patient in mental health institutions. Her father, Alick, suffered from alcoholism. Gwendolyn MacEwen grew up in the High Park area of the city, and attended Western Technical-Commercial School.
Her first poem was published in The Canadian Forum when she was only 17, and she left school at 18 to pursue a writing career. By 18 she had written her first novel, Julian the Magician.
"She was small (5'4") and slight, with a round pale face, huge blue eyes usually rimmed in kohl (Egyptian eye shadow), and long dark straight hair."
Her first book of poetry, The Drunken Clock, was published in 1961 in Toronto,. then the centre of a literary revival in Canada, encouraged by the editor Robert Weaver and influential teacher Northrop Frye. MacEwen was thus in touch with James Reaney, Margaret Atwood, Dennis Lee, etc. She married poet Milton Acorn, 19 years her senior, in 1962, although they divorced two years later.
She published over twenty books, in a variety of genres. She also wrote numerous radio docudramas for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), including a "much-admired radio drama", Terror and Erebus, in 1965.
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