Awards
Governor General's Award for Poetry, finalist, 1982.
Arc's Confederation Poets Prize, 1995.
Scarborough Bi-Centennial Award of Merit, 1996.
Selected Publications
Fables for Isolated Men. (Guernica Editions, 1982).
Globe Doubts. (Quarry Press, 1983).
Real Places and Imaginary Men (short stories). (Oberon Press,
1984).
David and the Daydreams (children's fiction). (Guernica
Editions, 1985).
Writing Home (short stories). (Oberon Press, 1989).
Positions to Pray In. (Guernica Editions, 1989).
The Unavoidable Man. (Quarry Press, 1990).
Letters from a Long Illness with the World: The D.H. Lawrence Poems.
(Brick Books, 1993).
The Ascension of Jesse Rapture (novel). (Quarry Press, 1993).
Fire and Brimstone. (Empyreal Press, 1997).
The Salvation of Desire (St.
Thomas Press, 2000) ISBN 0968533949.
The Words Wanting Out, Poems New and
Selected (Nightwood, 2003) ISBN 0889711925.
Selected Anthologies
Tributaries, Writer to Writer. (Mosaic Press, 1979).
Canadian Poetry Now: 20 Poets of the 80s. (House of Anansi Press,
1984).
Christian Poetry in Canada. (ECW Press, 1989).
Books in Print
Dempster, Barry
David and the Daydreams (children's fiction). Guernica Editions,
1985. $20.00 ISBN: 0-919349-48-X (hb); $8.00 ISBN: 0-919349-49-8 (pb).
Fables for Isolated Men. Guernica Editions, 1983. $20.00 ISBN:
0-919349-20-X (hb); $8.00 ISBN: 0-919349-19-6 (pb).
Fire and Brimstone. Empyreal Press, 1997. ISBN: 0-921852-20-7.
Globe Doubts. Quarry Press, 1983. $10.95 ISBN: 0-919627-08-0.
Letters from a Long Illness with the World: The D. H. Lawrence Poems.
Brick Books, 1993. $11.95 ISBN: 0-919626-64-5. Positions to Pray In.
Guernica Editions, 1989. $10.00 ISBN: 0-920717-08-X.
The Ascension of Jesse Rapture (novel). Quarry Press, 1993.
$14.95 ISBN: 1-55082-083-4.
The Unavoidable Man. Quarry Press, 1990. $10.95 ISBN:
0-919627-97-8.
Tributaries, An Anthology: Writer to Writer (editor). Mosaic
Press, 1979. $15.95 ISBN: 0-88962-088-1 (hb); $8.95 ISBN: 0-88962-089-X
(pb).
Writing Home (short stories). Oberon Press, 1989. $29.95 ISBN:
0-88750-758-1 (hb); $15.95 ISBN: 0-88750-760-3 (pb).
The Salvation of Desire, Poetry
(St. Thomas Press, 2000) ISBN 0968533949.
The Words Wanting Out, Poems New and
Selected, Poetry (Nightwood, 2003) ISBN 0889711925, $18.95.
Barry Dempster
45 French Cr., Holland Landing, ON, L9N 1J8
dempster@passport.ca
Poet in the School
(Holland Landing)
phone: 905-830-0453
email: dempster@passport.ca
Barry Dempster is a poet and fiction writer. He is the author of five volumes of poetry, including Fables for Isolated Men, which was a finalist for the Governor General's Award for Poetry, and, most recently, Letters from a Long Illness with the World, the D.H. Lawrence Poems. He has also published a novel entitled The Ascension of Jesse Rapture, two collections of short stories and a children's novel, David and the Daydreams. From 1990 to 1996, Dempster was also Poetry and Reviews editor for Poetry Canada Review. Dempster was educated in Child Psychology and has worked extensively with special needs children. He presently lives in Holland Landing, Ontario, and is especially interested in visiting schools in York Region.
Grade Levels: 4 - OAC
Fees: standard
Classroom Approach:
Dempster begins each workshop with a
short reading and a series of class participatory exercises designed to
warm up the imagination. The object is to remove fear and insecurity
and to replace them with a sense of play and confidence. The exercises
are informal and take a positive approach to creativity, allowing
students to explore the power of words. There is always an opportunity
for the students to work on their own poems for which Dempster gives
plenty of direction and help. The workshop concludes with a sharing
session and a question and answer period. The presentations are adapted
to suit the age level, giving younger grades more of an opportunity to
stretch their imaginations, and older students more practical advice.
Classes need not be familiar with his work, but Dempster will send
books prior to a visit so that students have a chance to explore a
little on their own.