Photo Credit:
Photo credit
Mark Haddock
Susan McCaslin
BIO
Biography

Susan McCaslin has published seventeen full volumes of poetry, including her most recent, Consider (Aeolus House, 2023). Her handcrafted chapbook, Sentient Stones (Raven Press) came out in June 2023. In Dec. 2022 her poem, "Consider the Western Red Cedar" won first place in the Federation of BC Writers annual poetry contest. A chapbook, Cosmic Egg, was published by The Alfred Gustav Poetry Series in June 2021. Her Into the Open: New and Selected Poems (Inanna) came out in the Fall of 2017. She also published a volume of essays, Arousing the Spirit: Provocative Writings (Wood Lake Books, 2011). Previous volumes of poetry include The Disarmed Heart (The St. Thomas Poetry Series, 2014) and Demeter Goes Skydiving (University of Alberta Press, 2011). The latter was short-listed for the BC Book Prize (Dorothy Livesay Award) and first-place winner of the Alberta Book Publishing Award (Robert Kroetsch Poetry Book Award) in 2012. Susan has edited two poetry anthologies, published a volume of essays and reflections titled Arousing the Spirit (Wood Lake Books, 2011), and a memoir, Into the Mystic: My Years with Olga (Inanna Publications, 2014). Her collaborative monograph of creative non-fiction with J.S. Porter, Thomas Merton: Superabundantly Alive was published by Wood Lake Books in 2018. Additionally, she edited poet E.D. Blodgett's posthumous volume of poetry titled Walking Into God (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2024). Susan completed her Ph.D. in English Literature at UBC (1984) and taught English and Creative Writing at Douglas College in New Westminster, BC from 1984-2007. Her deepest interests lie in poetry of the sacred east and west and ecopoetics. Susan resides outside Fort Langley, British Columbia where she initiated the Han Shan Poetry Project as part of a successful campaign to protect an endangered rainforest along the Fraser River.

ADDRESS
City: Langley, Province/Territory: British Columbia
EMAIL
LANGUAGES
English
PUBLICATIONS
Publications
Title
Consider
Publisher
Aeolus House
Year
2023
Title
Sentient Stones
Publisher
Raven Press (Salt Spring Island, BC)
Year
2023
Title
Into the Open: New and Selected Poems
Publisher
Inanna Publications
Year
2017
Title
Painter, Poet, Mountain: After Cezanne
Publisher
Quattro Books
Year
2016
Title
Into the Mystic: My Years with Olga
Publisher
Inanna Publications
Year
2014
Title
The Disarmed Heart
Publisher
The St. Thomas Poetry Series
Year
2014
Title
Demeter Goes Skydiving
Publisher
University of Alberta Press
Year
2011
Title
Arousing the Spirit: Provocative Writings
Publisher
Woodlake Publishing
Year
2011
Title
Lifting the Stone
Publisher
Seraphim Editions
Year
2007
Title
A Plot of Light
Publisher
Oolichan Press
Year
2004
Title
At the Mercy Seat
Publisher
Ronsdale Press
Year
2003
Title
Poetry & Spiritual Practice: Selections from Contemporary Canadian Poets (anthology)
Publisher
The Saint Thomas Poetry Series
Year
2002
Title
Common Longing
Publisher
Mellen Poetry Press
Year
2001
Title
The Altering Eye
Publisher
Borealis Press
Year
2000
Title
Flying Wounded
Publisher
The University Press of Florida
Year
2000
Title
Into the Open
Publisher
Golden Eagle Press
Year
1999
Title
Oracular Heart
Publisher
Reference West
Year
1999
Title
A Matter of Spirit: Recovery of the Sacred in Contemporary Canadian Poetry (anthology)
Publisher
Ekstasis Editions
Year
1998
Title
Letters to William Blake
Publisher
Mother Tongue Press
Year
1997
Title
Veil/ Unveil
Publisher
The Saint Thomas Poetry Series
Year
1997
Title
Light Housekeeping
Publisher
Ekstasis Editions
Year
1997
Title
Locutions
Publisher
Ekstasis Editions
Year
1995
Title
Thinking About God (children's book)
Publisher
Twenty-Third Publications
Year
1994
Title
Conversing with Paradise
Publisher
Golden Eagle Press
Year
1986
Title
The Visions of the Seven Sleepers
Publisher
The Iona Press
Year
1979
Title
Kindling
Publisher
Arion Press
Year
1979
Title
Motions of the Heart
Publisher
Arion Press
Year
1978
Programs & Interests
Interested in participating Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program:
All members are eligible for the Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program. Are you interested in participating in this pro
No
Interested in participating in the Northern Ontario WITS program:
The Union’s Northern Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program funds in-person visits to northern Ontario schools when possible. Ar
No