Deanna Young

Deanna Young was born in Lucan, Ontario, and grew up there and in nearby London. She recently moved to Ottawa after living for ten years in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia. She has degrees in Literature from McGill University and Education from Dalhousie University, and continues to teach English and poetry part-time while focusing on her writing. Her work has appeared in such journals as Descant, The Malahat Review and Arc and been broadcast on CBC radio. In 1996 she was the winner in the poetry category of the Atlantic Writing Competition, and she placed second in the League's 1998 National Poetry Contest. Her second book of poetry, Drunkard's Path, was published by Gaspereau Press in 2001. She sings alto in the Ottawa Folklore Centre's choir.

 

Awards
The Atlantic Writing Competition, Frog Hollow Poetry Prize, 1996.
The League of Canadian Poets' National Poetry Contest, second prize, 1998.
Arc Magazine's Poem of the year Contest, 3rd Prize, 2002 & 2003.

 

Selected Publications
The Still Before a Storm (Moonstone Press, 1984) ISBN 0-920259-01-4.
Drunkard's Path (Gaspereau Press, 2001) ISBN 1-894031-44-X (PBK.), 1-894031-45-8 (BOUND).

 

Selected Anthologies
Vintage 97/98 (Quarry Press/The League of Canadian Poets, 1998) ISBN 1-55082-224-1.
Study in Grey: Women Writing About Depression (Rowan Books, 1999) ISBN 0-9685257-1-7.
Henry's Creature: Poems and Stories on the Automobile (Black Moss Press. 2000) ISBN 0-88753-348-5. ÊÊ

 

Books in Print
Young, Deanna
Drunkard's Path (Gaspereau Press, 2001) ISBN 1-894031-44-X (PBK.), 1-894031-45-8 (BOUND) $14.95.

 

Deanna Young
deannayoung@sympatico.ca

 

Poet in the School
(Ottawa)

phone: 613-730-5812
deannayoung@sympatico.ca

Deanna Young was born in Lucan, Ontario, growing up there and in nearby London. She recently moved to Ottawa after living for ten years in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, where she taught poetry through the Writers in the Schools and Arts Infusion Programs. She is an experienced, certified teacher and has also written for radio. Her most recent book of poetry is Drunkard's Path (Gaspereau Pres, 2001), a title taken from a traditional quilt pattern.

Grade Levels: Grades 3 to OAC

Fees: standard

Classroom Approach:
Deanna Young likes to begin her visits with the question "What is poetry?" Students quickly discover that poets suffer mainly form a love of words, that poems play an important part in their own lives already Ñ and that they can write their own! For inspiration, Deanna uses a selection of accessible poems, word games and writing exercises. Her visits can be tailed to specific themes and, with older students, she will read from her own work.

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