Elisabeth Harvor
Encyclopedia
Erica Elisabeth Arendt Harvor (née Deichman) (born 26 June 1936) is a Canadian
novelist and poet
who lives in Ottawa
, Ontario
.
Born in Saint John
, New Brunswick
, the daughter of Danish immigrants
who made pottery by hand, Harvour grew up in Saint John and on the Kingston Peninsula
. She married Stig Harvor in 1957. The couple had two sons before they divorced in 1977. Harvour enrolled at Concordia University in 1983, receiving an M.A.
in creative writing in 1986. She has also won many awards for her fiction and poetry. Fortress of Chairs, her first book of poems, won the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award for best first book of poetry written by a Canadian writer in 1992. Her second poetry book, The Long Cold Green Evenings of Spring, was a finalist for the Lowther Award in 1997, and her first novel, Excessive Joy Injures the Heart, was chosen one of the ten best books of the year by The Toronto Star in 2000.Also in 2000 Mrs. Harvor won the Alden Nowlan Award, in 2003 the Marian Engel Award, and in 2004 the Malahat Novella Prize for "Across Some Dark Avenue of Plot He Carried Her Body."
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
novelist and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who lives in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Born in Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, the daughter of Danish immigrants
Immigration to Canada
Immigration to Canada is the process by which people migrate to Canada to reside permanently in the country. The majority of these individuals become Canadian citizens. After 1947, domestic immigration law and policy went through major changes, most notably with the Immigration Act, 1976, and the...
who made pottery by hand, Harvour grew up in Saint John and on the Kingston Peninsula
Kingston Peninsula
The Kingston Peninsula is a peninsula in southern New Brunswick, Canada, located between the Saint John River and the Kennebecasis River in Kings County.The peninsula was the site of the first United Empire Loyalist settlement in New Brunswick in 1783....
. She married Stig Harvor in 1957. The couple had two sons before they divorced in 1977. Harvour enrolled at Concordia University in 1983, receiving an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in creative writing in 1986. She has also won many awards for her fiction and poetry. Fortress of Chairs, her first book of poems, won the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award for best first book of poetry written by a Canadian writer in 1992. Her second poetry book, The Long Cold Green Evenings of Spring, was a finalist for the Lowther Award in 1997, and her first novel, Excessive Joy Injures the Heart, was chosen one of the ten best books of the year by The Toronto Star in 2000.Also in 2000 Mrs. Harvor won the Alden Nowlan Award, in 2003 the Marian Engel Award, and in 2004 the Malahat Novella Prize for "Across Some Dark Avenue of Plot He Carried Her Body."
Short stories
- Women and Children (1973, revised as Our Lady of All Distances, 1991)
- If Only We Could Drive Like This Forever (1988)
- Let Me Be the One (1996, nominated for a Governor General's Award1996 Governor General's AwardsThe 1996 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit were presented on November 14, 1996.-English Language:FictionWinner:*Guy Vanderhaeghe, The Englishman's BoyOther Finalists:*Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace...
)
Poetry
- Fortress of Chairs (1992, winner of the Gerald Lampert AwardGerald Lampert AwardThe Gerald Lampert Memorial Award is made annually by the League of Canadian Poets to the best volume of poetry published by a first-time poet. It is presented in honour of poetry promoter Gerald Lampert...
) - The Long Cold Green Evenings of Spring (1997)
- An Open Door in the Landscape (2010)
Novels
- Excessive Joy Injures the Heart (Houghton Mifflin, 2000) ISBN 0771039638
- All Times Have Been Modern (Penguin, 2004) ISBN 0670044407