Trevor Carolan
Encyclopedia
Trevor Carolan is a Canadian writer. He has published 16 books of non-fiction, poetry, fiction, translations and anthologies.
. At age 17 he also began writing for The Columbian newspaper and contributed articles on San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury music scene where his first introductions were to Bill Graham
of the Fillmore West and singer Janis Joplin.
He subsequently traveled extensively in Europe and Asia. During the winter of 1970, Carolan spent time living at the studio home of visual artist Marcos Irrizarry and Abel Bello in Pozuelo d’Alarcon near Madrid
, and he credits the experience for showing him the possibilities of a life in the arts.
in folk-blues units while studying at Douglas College
and Simon Fraser University
, where he studied Theatre with Richard Ouzounian
. His interest in writing grew and led him to Eureka, California
where he studied Creative Writing with Jim Dodge
while completing his B.A. and M.A.in English at Humboldt State University
in Arcata. In 1978, he met poet Allen Ginsberg
who encouraged him to continue writing poetry. Back in Vancouver
, he began writing for the Georgia Straight, joined P.W.A.C., and as a freelance journalist wrote for publications throughout Canada and the U.S. Following a lengthy journey through Asia in 1985 he increasingly specialized in East-West arts and letters and his three anthologies of East, Southeast and South Asian short stories have been influential in bringing attention in English to contemporary literature from these regions (see The Colors of Heaven: Short Stories From the Pacific Rim (Vintage-Random House, 1992; Another Kind of Paradise: Short Stories from the New Asia-Pacific [Cheng & Tsui, 2010]; and The Lotus Singers: Stories from Contemporary South Asia [Cheng & Tsui, 2011]).
(1986-88), and Coordinator of Literary Arts at the Banff Centre
in 2006. His publications include co-translations of the modern Taoist classics The Book of the Heart and The Supreme Way; Giving Up Poetry, a memoir of his studies with Allen Ginsberg; and the critically acclaimed Return To Stillness: Twenty Years With A Tai Chi Master.
He has also worked as media advocate on behalf of international human rights, Canadian Aboriginal land claims, famine relief, and Pacific Coast logging and watershed issues. He holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Bond University
in Australia
, and since 2001 has taught English and Creative Writing at University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, B.C.
The International Editor for The Pacific Rim Review of Books, he is a regular contributor for Choice
, The Bloomsbury Review, Manoa
, Kyoto Journal and Shambhala Sun
. Carolan’s novel The Pillow Book of Dr. Jazz is published internationally by Ekstasis Editions. He lives in North Vancouver, Canada where he served for three years as an elected municipal councillor.
Early Life
Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, Carolan's family emigrated in 1957 and he grew up in New Westminster near Vancouver, British Columbia. His stone-mason father also ran a folk music-era coffeehouse and he grew up interested in music and art. He has noted his luck as a high-student student there in having veteran Canadian writer Sam Roddan as a teacher. Roddan inspired him to write and had Carolan’s early poetry featured on CBC RadioCBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
. At age 17 he also began writing for The Columbian newspaper and contributed articles on San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury music scene where his first introductions were to Bill Graham
Bill Graham
William Carvel "Bill" Graham, PC QC is a former Canadian politician, who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of National Defence, and Leader of the Opposition and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Personal life:...
of the Fillmore West and singer Janis Joplin.
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
He subsequently traveled extensively in Europe and Asia. During the winter of 1970, Carolan spent time living at the studio home of visual artist Marcos Irrizarry and Abel Bello in Pozuelo d’Alarcon near Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, and he credits the experience for showing him the possibilities of a life in the arts.
Education
Returned to B.C., Carolan played harmonicaHarmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
in folk-blues units while studying at Douglas College
Douglas College
Established in 1970, Douglas College is one of the largest public colleges in British Columbia, Canada serving 14,000 credit students, 9,000 continuing education students and 1,000 international students each year.-Programs:...
and Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, where he studied Theatre with Richard Ouzounian
Richard Ouzounian
Richard Ouzounian is a Canadian journalist and theatre artist. He is currently the chief theatre critic for the Toronto Star and the Canadian theatre correspondent for Variety.-Life and career:...
. His interest in writing grew and led him to Eureka, California
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
where he studied Creative Writing with Jim Dodge
Jim Dodge
Jim Dodge is an American novelist and poet whose works combine themes of folklore and fantasy, set in a timeless present. He has published three novels, Fup, Not Fade Away and Stone Junction and a collection of poetry and prose, Rain on the River.-Biography:Dodge was born in 1945 and grew up as an...
while completing his B.A. and M.A.in English at Humboldt State University
Humboldt State University
Humboldt State University is the northernmost campus of the California State University system, located in Arcata within Humboldt County, California, USA. The main campus, nestled at the edge of a coast redwood forest, is situated on Preston hill overlooking Arcata and with commanding views of...
in Arcata. In 1978, he met poet Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
who encouraged him to continue writing poetry. Back in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, he began writing for the Georgia Straight, joined P.W.A.C., and as a freelance journalist wrote for publications throughout Canada and the U.S. Following a lengthy journey through Asia in 1985 he increasingly specialized in East-West arts and letters and his three anthologies of East, Southeast and South Asian short stories have been influential in bringing attention in English to contemporary literature from these regions (see The Colors of Heaven: Short Stories From the Pacific Rim (Vintage-Random House, 1992; Another Kind of Paradise: Short Stories from the New Asia-Pacific [Cheng & Tsui, 2010]; and The Lotus Singers: Stories from Contemporary South Asia [Cheng & Tsui, 2011]).
Career
Carolan has interwoven writing, teaching and arts administrative appointments throughout his career. He served as first Executive Director of the Federation of B.C. Writers in the early Eighties, was Literary Coordinator for the XVth Olympic Winter Games Festival of the Arts in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
(1986-88), and Coordinator of Literary Arts at the Banff Centre
Banff Centre
The Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta...
in 2006. His publications include co-translations of the modern Taoist classics The Book of the Heart and The Supreme Way; Giving Up Poetry, a memoir of his studies with Allen Ginsberg; and the critically acclaimed Return To Stillness: Twenty Years With A Tai Chi Master.
He has also worked as media advocate on behalf of international human rights, Canadian Aboriginal land claims, famine relief, and Pacific Coast logging and watershed issues. He holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Bond University
Bond University
Bond University is a private university located in Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is also the first private university established in Australia...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and since 2001 has taught English and Creative Writing at University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, B.C.
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
The International Editor for The Pacific Rim Review of Books, he is a regular contributor for Choice
Choice magazine
CHOICE Magazine is a publication of the Australian Consumers' Association, a non-profit organisation founded in 1959 to research and advocate on behalf of Australian consumers. The organisation trades as CHOICE and is similar to Consumer Reports in the United States...
, The Bloomsbury Review, Manoa
Manoa (journal)
Mānoa is a literary journal that includes American and international fiction, poetry, artwork, interviews, and essays of current cultural or literary interest. A notable feature of each issue is original translations of contemporary work from Asian and Pacific nations, selected for each issue by a...
, Kyoto Journal and Shambhala Sun
Shambhala Sun
The Shambhala Sun is an independent, bimonthly magazine that offers a nonsectarian view of 'Buddhism, Culture, Meditation, and Life.' Presented are teachings from the Buddhist and other contemplative traditions, with an emphasis on applying the principles of mindfulness and awareness practices to...
. Carolan’s novel The Pillow Book of Dr. Jazz is published internationally by Ekstasis Editions. He lives in North Vancouver, Canada where he served for three years as an elected municipal councillor.
Fiction
- The Pillow Book of Dr. Jazz: Travels Along Asia’s Dharma Trail, Anchor, Sydney, 1999
- Big Whiskers Saves The Cove, Concorde, Vancouver, 1995 (children’s environmental mystery)
Non-Fiction
- Return to Stillness: Twenty Years with a Tai Chi Master, Marlowe & Co., 2003
- Giving up Poetry: With Allen Ginsberg At Hollyhock, Banff Centre Press, 2001
Poetry
- Celtic Highway: Poems & Texts, Ekstasis, 2002
- Closing The Circle, Heron Press; Vancouver, 1985
Anthologies (as editor)
- The Lotus Singers: Contemporary Stories from South Asia, Editor Cheng & Tsui, 2011
- Making Waves: Reading B.C. and Pacific Northwest Literature, Editor Anvil Press, 2010
- Along the Rim: The Best of Pacific Rim Review of Books, Vol. II. Co-ed. Ekstasis, 2010
- Another Kind of Paradise: Short Stories from the New Asia-Pacific, editor Cheng & Tsui, 2009
- Against the Shore: The Best of Pacific Rim Review of Books, Co-ed, Ekstasis, 2008
- Down In The Valley: Contemporary Writing from B.C.’s Fraser Valley, Editor, Ekstasis, 2004
- The Colours of Heaven: Short Stories From The Pacific Rim, editor,Vintage, N.Y. 1992.
Translation
- The Supreme Way: Inner Teachings of the Southern Mountain Tao, (co-translation with Du Liang), North Atlantic, Berkeley, 1997
- The Book of the Heart: Embracing the Tao(with Bella Chen) , Shambhala Pub. 1990; Heron Press, Vancouver, 1988