Milton Acorn

Milton James Rhode Acorn (March 30, 1923 – August 20, 1986), nicknamed The People's Poet by his peers,Joan Givner. "Book Review: Milton Acorn: In Love and Anger by Richard Lemm". Quill & Quire, was a Canadian poet, writer, and playwright.

Early life He was born in Prince Edward Island, and grew up in Charlottetown. He joined the armed forces during World War II at the age of eighteen.

Career

During World War II, on a trans-Atlantic crossing, Acorn suffered a wound from depth charges. The wound was severe enough for him to receive a disability pension from Veterans Affairs for most of his life. He returned to Prince Edward Island and moved to Montreal, Quebec, in 1956 and was for a time a member of the Labor-Progressive Party. He spent several years living at the Hotel Waverly in Toronto, Ontario.

In Montreal, he published some of his early poems in the political magazine, New Frontiers. In 1956, he self-published a mimeographed chapbook, In Love and Anger, his first collection of poems. In the 1950s, some of his poetry was published in the magazine Canadian Forum.

He was for a short time married to poet Gwendolyn MacEwen.

In the mid-1960s, he moved to Vancouver and joined the League for Socialist Action. In 1967, Acorn helped found the "underground" newspaper The Georgia Straight in Vancouver, British Columbia.Coupey, Pierre. "Straight Beginnings: The Rise & Fall of the Underground Press", The Grape weekly newspaper #8, pages 12 and 13, March 8, 1972, Vancouver, BC, Canada. In 1969, he published his poetry collection I've Tasted My Blood."No Man is an Island". by Harold Heft Books in Canada website

Acorn was awarded the Canadian Poets Award in 1970 and the Governor General's Award in 1976 for his collection of poems, The Island Means Minago.Downey, Donn. "Award-winning poet honored by peers", The Globe and Mail. August 22, 1986.Carolyn Purden. "Book Review: "Out of This World: The Natural History of Milton Acorn by Chris Gudgeon". Quill & Quire, In 1977, Acorn introduced the Jackpine sonnet, a form designed to be as irregular and spikey (and Canadian) as a jack pine tree, but with internal structure and integrity. Without a fixed number of lines and with varied line lengths, the Jackpine sonnet depends on interweaving internal rhymes, assonance and occasional end-rhymes.

In July 1986, he suffered a heart attack and was admitted to the hospital. Acorn died in his home town of Charlottetown on August 20, 1986, due to complications associated with his heart condition and diabetes. According to fellow poet and friend Jim Deahl, he had "lost his will to live after the death of a younger sister."

Milton Acorn People's Poetry Award In 1987, the Milton Acorn People's Poetry Award was established in his memory by Ted Plantos. It is presented annually to an outstanding "people's poet." The award was initially $250 (since raised to $500) and a medallion, modelled after the one given to Milton Acorn.

Acorn on film In 1971, Acorn was the subject of a documentary, Milton Acorn: The People's Poet, which was aired on the CBC program Thirty Minutes.". "The "People’s Poet" in three dimensions"]. Canadian Dimensions, Brenda Austin-Smith, September 28, 2016 The National Film Board of Canada produced two films on Acorn's life and works. The first is entitled In Love and Anger: Milton Acorn - Poet, and came out in 1984. The second is called A Wake for Milton. It was produced in 1988.

Bibliography 1956: In Love and Anger 1960: Against a League of Liars 1960: The Brain's the Target 1963: Jawbreakers () 1969: I've Tasted My Blood 1971: I Shout Love and On Shaving Off His Beard 1972: More Poems for People 1975: The Island 1977: The Road to Charlottetown (with Cedric Smith) 1977: Jackpine Sonnets 1982: Captain Neal MacDougal & the Naked Goddess 1983: Dig Up My Heart 1986: Whiskey Jack HMS Press (Toronto)

Posthumous collections 1987: A Stand of Jackpine (with James Deahl) 1987: The Uncollected Acorn 1987: I Shout Love and Other Poems 1988: Hundred Proof Earth 1996: To Hear the Faint Bells

Anthologies 2002: Coastlines: The Poetry of Atlantic Canada, ed. Anne Compton, Laurence Hutchman, Ross Leckie and Robin McGrath (Goose Lane Editions)

Discography More Poems for People Audio CD reading Canadian Poetry Association, (1986 audio tape / 2001 CD)

Literary awards 1970 Canadian Poets' Award, more commonly known as the People's Poet Award and Medal 1975 Governor General's Award 1977 Honorary Doctorate of Law Degree (from the University of Prince Edward Island) 1986 Life member Canadian Poetry Association

Milton Acorn

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