Robert Gibbs. Courtesy League of Canadian Poets.
Robert John "Bob" Gibbs (born February 3, 1930) is a Canadian poet and academic.[1]
Life[]
Youth and education[]
Gibbs was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, and grew up in various parts of the city. He began writing poetry, and declared himself a poet, at the age of 9, but kept his writing secret.
He graduated from Saint John High School in 1947, and then entered the University of New Brunswick (UNB), where he was mentored by Don Gammon, Elizabeth Brewster, Fred Cogswell, and Alfred Bailey. His earliest published poetry appeared in Bailey's magazine The Fiddlehead in 1949.[1]
Gibbs earned a B.A. and M.A. from UNB, a second M.A. from the University of Cambridge, and a Ph.D. from UNB.[2]
Career[]
Gibbs began teaching English at in UNB 1963, and served as a director of its creative writing graduate program.[3] He also served as both poetry editor and editor of The Fiddlehead.[1] He retired in 1989,[2] as a professor emeritus of UNB.[3]
Writing[]
The New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia says that "Gibbs’s poetry has been compared to that of Gerard Manley Hopkins." Poet Alden Nowlan said of Gibbs that he " “is arguably Canada’s most underestimated poet. Little known beyond the UNB campus, his verse is equal in quality to that of a number of writers with established national reputations.”[1]
Recognition[]
In 1998 Gibbs received New Brunswick’s Alden Nowlan Award for Excellence in English-Language Literary Arts.[1]
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- Five New Brunswick Poets (by Elizabeth Brewster, Fred Cogswell, Robert Gibbs, Alden Nowlan, & Kay Smith). Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1962.
- The Road From Here. Fredericton, NB: New Brunswick Chapbooks, 1968.
- Earth Charms Heard So Early. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1970.
- A Dog in a Dream. Fredericton, NB: New Brunswick Chapbooks, 1971.
- A Kind of Wakefulness. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1973.
- All This Night Long. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1978.
- Reflections on a Hill behind a Town. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1980.
- A Space to Play in. Toronto: League of Canadian Poets, 1981.
- The Tongue Still Dances: Poems new and selected. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books / Goose Lane Editions, 1985.
- Earth Aches (chapbook). Fredericton, NB: Wild East, 1991; Fredericton, NB: Broken Jaw Press, 1995.
- Driving to Our Edge. Ottawa, ON: Oberon Press, 2003.
- The Essential Robert Gibbs (edited by Brian Bartlett). Erin, ON: Porcupine's Quill, 2011.
Novels[]
- A Mouthorgan for Angels (fantasy). Ottawa, ON: Oberon Press, 1984.
- Kindly Light. Ottawa, ON: Oberon Press, 2007.
Short fiction[]
- I've Always Felt Sorry for Decimals. Ottawa, ON: Oberon Press, 1978.
- Angels Watch Do Keep. Ottawa, ON: Oberon Press, 1997.
Non-fiction[]
- "Various Persons Named Alden Nowlan," in The Alden Nowlan Papers. University of Calgary.[2]
Edited[]
- Ninety Seasons: Modern poets from the Maritimes (edited with Robert H. Cockburn). Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1974.
- Alden Nowlan, Early Poems. Fredericton, NB: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1983.[1]
- Alden Nowlan, An Exchange of Gifts: Poems, new and selected. Toronto: Irwin, 1985.
- Alden Nowlan, White Madness (essays). Ottawa, ON: Oberon, 1996.[1]
- Alden Nowland, Road Dancers (essays). Ottawa, ON: Oberon, 1999.[1]
Anthologized[]
- Easterly. Sixty Atlantic writers. Academic Press, 1983.[3]
- The Atlantic Anthology, Volume II. Charlottetown, PEI: Ragweed Press, 1985.[3]
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[4]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Lauren Caines, Bob Gibbs, New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia, St. Thomas University, STU.ca, Web, June 8, 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Robert Gibbs, Faculty of Arts: English, University of New Brunswick, UNB.ca, Web, June 8, 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Robert Gibbs, League of Canadian Poets, Poets.ca, Web, June 8, 2012.
- ↑ Search results = au:Robert Gibbs, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Mar. 16, 2019.
External links[]
- Books
- Robert J. Gibbs at Amazon.com
- About
- Bob Gibbs at the New Brunswick Literary Encyclopedia
- Robert Gibbs at the Atlantic Canadian Poets' Archive
- Robert Gibbs at the League of Canadian Poets
- The Essentials, Robert Gibbs (interview), Open Book Ontario.
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