Allison Grayhurst 

Contact links:

E-mail: allisongrayhurst@rogers.com: allisongrayhurst@rogers.com

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/allisongrayhurst

LinkedIn: http://lnkd.in/mE3NYf

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1937690.Allison_Grayhurst

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/allison.grayhurst

Poets&Writers: http://www.pw.org/content/allison_grayhurst

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AllisonGrayhurst/videos

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/allison-grayhurst-poet

Store: https://allisongrayhurst.com/shop/

Bio:

Born: October 28, 1966 

Grew up in Montreal, Spain, Toronto

Lives now:  in Toronto, Canada with my family: husband/soulmate – singer/songwriter/author/cartoonist Kyp Harness http://kypharness.net/ (married 1995), our two children, Ava and Clay, and animal family. (Please scroll down to the bottom to see links to Kyp Harness’ music, fictional books, comic strip, and Laurel & Hardy and Charlie Chaplin books).

Sculpting in clay for 23 years. My mentor/teacher was Elizabeth Fraser Williamson who passed away over a decade ago at the age of 87. My primary focus is sculpting people’s faces. (Please scroll down to the bottom to see links to Elizabeth Fraser Williamson’s poetry/sculpture book and two documentaries about her).

Writers/poets/philosophers/musicians/artists/people who have inspired me: Rainer Maria Rilke, Dostoyevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Dylan Thomas, Theodore Roethke, Sylvia Plath, James Baldwin, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Thomas Hardy, Kyp Harness, Van Morrison, Homer, Euripides, Pablo Neruda, Homer, Mozart’s The Requiem, Yoko Ono, Rodin, Van Gough, Elizabeth Fraser Williamson, Joni Mitchell, Jane Goodall, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Bela Bartok, Kate Bush.

Spiritual beliefs: Follower of Jesus. No church. No religion. Just the Gospels. “The Message” by Eugene H. Peterson. Vegetarian since I was 13 years old-  don’t believe in killing or the causing of unnecessary pain/torture to any living being. In 2014 I changed to a vegan diet in order to embrace a more compassionate lifestyle and because I am an environmentalist;  http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/

I took a 15 year hiatus from the poetry publishing world in order to raise my children. My nine books, two collections and chapbook all published in 2012 are the result of the writing I continued to do during that time.

I am a full member of the League of Canadian Poets since 2014.

I have been nominated five times for Sundress Publications “Best of the Net” 2015/2017/2018.

(In 2015: Indiana Voice Journal, May 2015 – one poem nominated. In 2015: Juxtaprose Literary Magazine, April 2015 – two poems nominated. In 2017, Synchronized Chaos, May 2017 – one eight-part story-poem nominated . In 2018: The Bees Are Dead, June 2018 – one poem nominated.)

In 2018, my book Sight at Zero, was listed #34 on CBC’s “Your Ultimate Canadian Poetry List”.

In 2023, my work was translated in Korean and published in “Jnuri Magazine”.

In 2020, my work was translated into Chinese and published “Rendition of International Poetry Quarterly Vol 98”, and in “Poetry Hall issue 7”.

Collaborating with Allison Grayhurst on the lyrics, Vancouver-based singer/songwriter/musician Diane Barbarash has transformed eight of my poems into songs, creating a full album. “River – Songs from the poetry of Allison Grayhurst”, released October 2017. 

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/river-songs-from-the-poetry-of-allison-grayhurst/id1293420648

www.dianebarbarash.bandcamp.com 

https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/dianebarbarash3 

Publications:

 (2020)

More than 1400 of my poems have been published in over 530 international literary magazines, journals and anthologies in Canada, United States, England, India, Ireland, China, Scotland, Wales, Austria, Romania, New Zealand, Zambia, Nepal, Korea, Bangladesh, Turkey, Colombia and Australia. Many of my published poems are on this website.

Some of places my work has appeared in include Parabola (Alone & Together print issue summer 2012); SUFI Journal (Featured Poet in Issue #95, Sacred Space); Elephant Journal; Literary Orphans; Blue Fifth Review; The American Aesthetic, Agave Magazine; JuxtaProse Literary Magazine, South Florida Arts Journal; Gris-Gris; New Binary Press Anthology; The Brooklyn Voice; Straylight Literary Magazine; The Milo Review; Foliate Oak Literary Magazine; The Antigonish Review; Dalhousie Review; The New Quarterly; Wascana Review; Poetry Nottingham International; The Cape Rock; Ayris; Journal of Contemporary Anglo-Scandinavian Poetry (now called The Journal); The Toronto Quarterly; Fogged Clarity, Existere; Boston Poetry Magazine; Decanto; White Wall Review.  

My book Somewhere Falling was published by Beach Holme Publishers, a Porcepic Book, in Vancouver in 1995. Since then, 21 other books of my poetry and 12 collections have been published with Edge Unlimited Publishing.

 (2011)

Journey of the Awakening, 1997; The Longing to Be, 1998; Death and Other Possibilities, 2000; Outliving the Inevitable, 2002; Into My Mortal, 2004; Red thread – Black thread, 2006; The Many Lights of Eden, 2008; Pushing Through The Jelly Fire, 2010; The River is Blind, 2012; Seamless – A Collection of Love Poems, 2012; If I Get There – Poems of Faith and Doubt, a collection, 2012 – written in their respective years and all published in 2012 by Edge Unlimited Publishing. For Every Rain – a collection of early poems and Jumana and Perfect Love – two poetic prose pieces, were both written in the late 1980s and early 1990s and published in 2013, Edge Unlimited Publishing.

Prior to the publication of Somewhere Falling I had a poetry book published, Common Dream, 1991, and four chapbooks Before the Dawn, Joshua’s Shoulder, Perfect Love and Jumana, all published in 1989 by The Plowman, under the pseudonym Jocelyn Kain.

My poetry chapbook The River is Blind was published by Ottawa publisher above/ground press December 2012. 

In 2014 my chapbook Surrogate Dharma was published by Kind of a Hurricane Press, Barometric Pressures Author Series.

In 2015 my book No Raft – No Ocean was published by Scars Publications.

My book Make the Wind was published in 2016 by Scars Publications.

My book Trial and Witness – selected poems, was published in 2016 with Creative Talents Unleashed (CTU Publishing Group).

My book Tadpoles Find the Sun was published in 2020 by Cyberwit.

My book Running, lightwave riding was published in 2023 by Cyberwit.

My three books entitled Wallpaper Stars and Walkways and Fire and more, were published in 2013, 2014, and 2016 respectively. As well, I put out two other collections in 2013 Seamless and If I Get There – poems of Faith and Doubt. As My Blindness Burns – three long poems, was published in 2014. My collection Our Children are Orchards – collected poems about animals, children and pregnancy was published in 2015. My collection Current – pastlife poems was published in 2016. The Fault of Sages was published in 2017.

Sight at Zero – selected poems (1988 to 2017) was published in 2017.

The Poetry of Allison Grayhurst – completed works from 1988 to 2017 (Volume 1 of 5), (Volume 2 of 5), (Volume 3 of 5), (Volume 4 of 5), and (Volume 5 of 5)  were all published in 2017. The Poetry of Allison Grayhurst – Collections from 1988 to 2017 (Volume 6) was also published in 2017.

The Sculptures of Allison Grayhurst was published in 2018.

Animal Culture (rules of commitment) was published in 2018.

Snapshots was published in 2019.

If I Knew This Haunting was published in 2019.

Tadpoles Find the Sun was published in 2020.

Ways of Mercy and The Poetry of Allison Grayhurst – completed works from 2018 to 2021 (Volume 7) were both published in 2021.

A Wish Alone was published in 2022.

Comments on The poetry of Allison Grayhurst (from 2011 to 2023) was published in  2023.

Running, lightwave riding was published in 2023.

The Light Given will be published in 2024.

(2013) (2014) (2014) (2015) (2016) (2016) (2017) (2017) (2017) (2017) (2017) (2017) (2017) (2017) (2018)

(2018) (2019) (2019) (2021) (2021) (2022) (2023) (2024)

(2012) (2014) (2015) (2016)

(2016) (2020)

(2023)

 

(Please note, only previously published poems are posted on this website).

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Over 1400 published poems are available to read on this website. All of these poems are accompanied by my audio reading of the poem.

All of my books are available to purchase in paperback, kindle and hardcover versions on Amazon internationally.

As well, you can purchase a download of a PDF version of my books on my website store here:

https://allisongrayhurst.com/shop/

 (1995) (poetry reading)

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Kyp Harness

 (photograph by Ava Harness)

Quotes about Kyp Harness:

“A great writer.”

Daniel Lanois

“One of the finest songwriters on the planet.”
Ron Sexsmith

“Kyp Harness has amassed a songbook that should rightfully be regarded as a national treasure. ..Discover the brilliance that is Harness’ way with a song. Songwriting Genius.”
Exclaim Magazine

“Kyp Harness is one of the finest songwriters this city – if not this country – has seen. (Kyp Harness has assembled) one of this country’s best songbooks.”
Eye Magazine

“I won’t mince words: Right now, Kyp Harness is the most vital, essential Canadian singer-songwriter out there.”
Calgary Straight

“No-one who professes to care about songwriting in this country or any other can afford to ignore him any longer.”
ID Magazine

“One of the finest songwriters this country has produced.”
Moncton Times Transcript

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Kyp Harness’ music:

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyp_Harness

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http://kypharness.net/

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Kyp Harness’ fiction novel “The Abandoned” published by Nightwood Editions, October 2018

https://www.amazon.com/Abandoned-Kyp-Harness/dp/0889713456/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1687524150&sr=1-4

 

Kyp Harness’ fiction novel “Wigford Rememberies” published by Nightwood Editions, May 2016

Winner of “The ReLit Awards” for a Novel

http://therelitawards.blogspot.com/2018/07/2017-relit-winners.html

https://www.amazon.com/Wigford-Rememberies-Kyp-Harness/dp/0889713197/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1687524150&sr=1-3

Link to an interview about the book:

http://www.verbicidemagazine.com/2016/05/26/kyp-harness-interview/

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Kyp Harness’ comic strip “Mortimer the Slug”:

http://mortimertheslugcomic.com/

or

http://www.mortimertheslug.com/

 

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Kyp Harness’ McFarland-published books “The Art of Laurel and Hardy” and “The Art of Charlie Chaplin”:

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Laurel-Hardy-Graceful-Calamity/dp/0786424400/

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Charlie-Chaplin-Film-Film/dp/0786431938/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1%20

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Elizabeth Fraser Williamson:

Elizabeth Fraser Williamson Canadian Sculptor, Poet and Educator

Elizabeth Fraser Williamson’s poetry/sculpture book “There’s a Legend in my Spine” and two documentaries about her and her work:

http://www.amazon.com/Theres-legend-Elizabeth-Fraser-Williamson/dp/0920806287

http://artsonfilm.com/orders

Click HERE to Order

The SCULPTURES of ELIZABETH FRASER WILLIAMSON (27 minutes)This 27 minute film shows a wide selection of Elizabeth’s work. It features her sculptures in clay, wood, concrete and stone. Brilliantly filmed in-the-round, the sculptures are shown in exquisite detail, revealing their profound aesthetic quality and the masterful technique of this outstanding Canadian sculptor.

 

From the artist:“Once in a while I will chance upon a stone – a stone of such dignity and self-containment that one’s immediate response is of awe and respect. Here lies a boulder, ground and crushed by glaciers; aeons old; beautiful; invincible; gaining in stoniness and character with each battle – a king among stones.” – Elizabeth Fraser Williamson Click HERE to Order

PATHWAY FROM WITHIN (20 minutes)At first glance, this film appears to be about how one of Canada’s foremost sculptors works in stone, concrete and clay. But it imparts much more than that; it allows the viewer an unique opportunity to share that which is most elusive in art – that moment of inspiration emanating from the wellspring of creativity. Review: “Intuitive rhythms dominate the sculpture of Elizabeth Fraser Williamson…she never loses touch with the essential soul of the subject.” – Gerry Moses, Art Critic. AWARDS: Silver Medal, New York Film and TV Festival The Christopher: Columbus Film Festival Outstandi

 

https://elizabethfraserwilliamson.com/cottage-gallery-guild-inn-scarborough/

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