The Alden Nowlan Papers

Born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, largely self-educated, working as a farmer, a mill-worker and, more regularly, as a journalist in New Brunswick, Alden Nowlan is the author of some twelve volumes of verse and three books of fiction, including the posthumously published The Wanton Troopers (1988). Often referred to as "the poet of plain talk," Nowlan reflects a strong compassion for individuals whose lives are characterized by hardship and constriction, as well as a recurring note of protest directed against the forces of puritanism and authority that inhibit the human spirit. Introduced with a scholarly biocritical essay by Dr. Robert Gibbs of the University of New Brunswick, this volume constitutes a welcome and worthy contribution to the Canadian Archival Inventory Series, and offers a rich fund of material for our understanding of an outstanding Maritime poet and novelist. These Papers were acquired in three accessions, but they have been integrated to produce this inventory. The majority of the material listed here was generated by the author between 1966 and 1983. Some published work extends back to the early 1950s, when Nowlan's poetry was first published in little magazines in the United States. Also included in the archive are examples of his early newspaper work, a rich collection of correspondence, ideas for literary work, manuscripts ranging from holograph preliminary work to publishers' galleys, as well as published work and reviews.