kristjanagunnarswritings

Gunnars’ six poetry books (to date, and four chapbooks) have appeared at intervals since 1980.  The poems are sometimes grounded in extra-poetic documents, like maps of the moon or Nordic herbal lore, and they are more often than not written as cycles of poems. The publication list of individual poems in journals and anthologies is too long for this website, so these are selected samples.

Here is a selection of poetry reprinted in anthologies:

“that is not a dream, this.”  Poem in The Dominion of Love, ed. Tom Wayman.  Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2000.  (66)

“The Night Workers of Ragnarök.”  Sequence from The Night Workers of Ragnarök.   Translated into Icelandic by Sigurður A. Magnússon.  Jón á Bægisá I: 1997.   Reykjavík, 1997.  (86-106)

“Exiles Among You” #’s 2, 7, 15, 47, 64.  Five poems from Exiles Among You.  Passport, an English Canadian poetry anthology.  Ed. Endré Farkas.  Montréal, Québec” The Muse’s Company, 1997.

“those subjected to radioactivity who did not die were marked for life.”  Poem from The Night Workers of Ragnarök.  Global Matters, ed. Ian Waldro and Nancy Steinhauer.  New York: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1995.  (26-7)

“in this kitchen.”  Kitchen Talk, eds. Edna Alford and Claire Harris.  Red Deer: Red Deer College Press, 1992.

Three poems from One-Eyed Moon Maps and selections from Settlement Poems, reprinted in Inspirations, an anthology of prairie poetry.  Ed. Dennis Cooley.  Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, 1993.

Three poems from The Night Workers of Ragnarök.  Poetry by Canadian Women.  Ed. Rosemary Sullivan.  Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1989.

“wakepick XI,” “from memory I, II, XII,” “stefán eyjólfsson,” “a long production.”  Poem from Wake-Pick Poems, four poems from Settlement Poems, and one poem from “Mistaken Masters.”  Section Lines.  Ed. Marc Duncan.  Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, 1988.

“stefán eyjólfsson I, XV.”  Two poems from Settlement Poems.  The New Canadian Poets 1970-85.  Ed. Dennis Lee.  Toronto: McLelland and Steward, 1985.

“changeling VIII,” “monkshood XXI, XXIII, XXIX,” “wakepick I,” “the dots of de dondi,” “coalface universe.”  Five poems from Wake-Pick Poems.  Canadian Poetry Now.  Ed. Ken Norris.  Toronto: Anansi, 1984.

“milky way vegetation II, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.”  Women and Words: The Anthology.  Ed. The West Coast Editorial Collective.   Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 1984.

“wakepick I,” “chageling VIII.”  Two poems from Wake-Pick Poems.  The New Oxford Book of Canadia Verse in English.  Ed. Margaret Atwood.  Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1982.

“jóhann briem II.”  Poem from Settlement Poems.  The Icelannders.  Eds. David Arnason and Michael Olito.  Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, 1981.

Titles in this selection:

112th St. Notebook. Baltimore, Maryland: akinoga press. (Chapbook, forthcoming).

At Home in the Mountains.  The Junction, Ontario: Junction Books, 2019.  [Chapbook]]

Snake Charmers. Ottawa: Above/Ground Press, 2016.  [Chapbook]

Silence of the Country. Regina: Coteau Books, 2002.

Exiles Among You. Regina: Coteau Books, 1996.

Carnival of Longing. Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, 1989.

The Night Workers of Ragnarök. Toronto: Press Porcépic, 1985.

Wake-pick Poems. Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 1981.

One-eyed Moon Maps. Victoria: Press Porcépic, 1980.


Water, Waiting. Toronto: Underwhich Editions, 1987. [Chapbook].

Book-length cycles of poems published in journal instead of book-format:

"Reef."  Cycle of 24 poems.  Buffalo, New York: Paunch, 1984.

“Epistle of Wilderness.”  Longpoem.  Moonbeam, Ontario: Northward Journal, Winter 1983.

Many individual poems, as well as cycles and groups of poems, are to be found in numerous literary and academic journals and book anthologies in Canada, the United States, Europe.

Here is a selected sample:

"I tell myself such cold stories," poem from Silence of the Country.  Published as an epigraph in Denholm, Derrick Stacey:  Ground-Truthing: Reimagining the Indigenous Rainforest of BC's Northcoast.  Caitlin Press, Halfmoon Bay, B.C., 2015.

"manifestation," poem from "Snake Charmers." Montréal, Québec: Vallum: Contemporary Poetry, winter, 2015.

"the names," poem from "Snake Charmers."  Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie Review, Vol. 94: 3, Autumn, 2014.

"storm," "drops", two poems from "Snake Charmers." Antigonish, Nova Scotia: The Antigonish Review.

"Chair," "the world's limits."  Two poems from "Snake Charmers."  Windsor, Ontario: Rampike Magazine, (24:1), Spring, 2015.

“the suit.”  Toronto, Ontario: Canada Woman Studies.  2002.

“The Novel,” “Admit One,” “the suit IV.”  Montréal, Québec: Matrix.  2002.

“light.”  Louisiana: New Delta Review (19,1).  2001.

“the shadow part.”  Vancouver, B.C.: West Coast Line.  Spring, 2001.

“silence of the country,” “ink stains.”  Wales, UK: Poetry Wales.  Summer, 2000.

“Sunday afternoon,” “Aarctic Cathedral,” “street corner.”  Antigonish, Nova Scotia: Antigonish Review.  Autumn, 1998.

“at the beach, “quiet of the morning.”  Ottawa, Ontario: Arc.  Autumn, 1998.

“Exiles Among You” (three poems from Exiles Among You).  Sault Ste. Marie, Québec: Rampike, 1997.

“Photographic Memory.”  Deakin University, Australia: Mattoid.  1998.

“casualty.”  Oxford, UK/Charstoen, South Carolina: Verse.  1987.

"Poverty Lines." Vancouver: Canadian Literature 100 (Spring 1984): 120-121.

“north country wake 6,8,9.”  (Three poems).  Toronto, Ontario: Poetry Canada Review  (6:1).  Fall, 1984.

“the dots of de dondi.  Montréal, Québec: Agenda 84 (The Muse’s Company).  July, 1983.

From "Whale Constellations."  Vancouver: Canadian Literature 90 (Autumn 1981): 107-110.

Poetry in Film (sample):

“Sunlamp” section from Carnival of Longing narrated in the film Zack & Luc, by Robert Gray, University of New Brunswick.  Independent film, various granting agencies.  2013.



Small Selection of Reviews of Gunnars' Poetry Books

Chapbooks:

"A journey in the aftermath: snake charmers: a cycle of twenty poems."  Review of Snake Charmers, by Subterranean Blue Poetry in Subterranean Blue Poetry, Vol. IV, Issue V, 2016.

"new from above/ground press: Kristjana Gunnars."  Review of Snake Charmers by Eleni Zisimatos in "Featured Poets."  Montreal:  Vallum: Contemporary Poetry, March 2016.