Miriam Waddington
Miriam Waddington was a Canadian poet and writer born on December 23, 1917, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. Growing up in a culturally rich environment, Waddington was influenced by her education in Yiddish and art schools. She later moved to Ottawa, where she completed her degree at the University of Toronto in 1939, eventually marrying journalist Patrick Waddington. Initially working as a social worker, she began publishing poetry and short stories in literary journals during the early 1940s, with her first poetry collection, "Green World," released in 1945.
Waddington's writing often drew from her experiences in social work and her identity as a Jewish woman in Canada, and she produced several notable poetry collections throughout her career. After moving to Toronto in 1960, she transitioned from social work to teaching English at York University. Although she faced periods of limited critical recognition, her work gained appreciation in the late 1970s, culminating in significant honors, including a Senior Arts Fellowship and Borestone Mountain Poetry Awards. One of her poems is even featured on the Canadian hundred-dollar bill. Waddington continued to write until her passing on March 3, 2004, and her legacy as a significant figure in Canadian literature is increasingly acknowledged.
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Subject Terms
Miriam Waddington
Poet
- Born: December 23, 1917
- Birthplace: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Died: March 3, 2004
- Place of death: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Biography
Miriam Dworkin Waddington was born on December 23, 1917, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of Yitzhak and Mussia Dobrusin Dworkin. Her parents were Russian Jewish immigrants, and Waddington grew up in a culturally diverse milieu. She attended both Yiddish school and art school in Winnipeg, two experiences that influenced her later writing.
Her family moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in the 1930’s, where Waddington attended high school. Upon graduation, she attended the University of Toronto, earning her degree in 1939. She then married Patrick Waddington, a journalist, and became a social worker, a career she pursued for the next two decades. During the early 1940’s, Waddington began publishing poems and short stories in literary journals. In 1945, she published her first poetry collection, Green World. She received high praise for this volume, notably from critic Northrop Frye.
In 1945, Waddington moved to Montreal, where she worked as a McGill University instructor of social work and as a caseworker. Her second book, The Second Silence, a collection of poems that had previously been printed in journals, was not a success. Much of the poetry in this volume and in her next, The Season’s Lovers (1958), focused on her experiences as a social worker.
After the breakup of her marriage, Waddington moved to Toronto in 1960, where she eventually switched her career from social work to teaching, becoming a lecturer in English at York University. Over the next two decades she published many collections of poetry. She also edited poems by A.M. Klein and published a critical study of the poet. During the late 1970’s, Waddington produced some of her most important poetry. The Price of Gold, published in 1976, was well reviewed, and critics finally acknowledged that Waddington held a significant place in Canadian letters.
In addition to writing poetry that dared to define what it is to be a Canadian, Waddington also wrote short stories in both English and Yiddish about her experience as a Jew in Canada. After retiring from teaching in 1983, Waddington continued to write poetry. Her last collection of poetry, Canada: Romancing the Land, was published in 1996. Waddington died on March 3, 2004, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Waddington received several honors in her lifetime. In 1962, she won a Senior Arts Fellowship from the Canada Council; she also won Borestone Mountain Poetry Awards in 1964 and 1966. Her poem “Jacques Cartier in Toronto” is printed on the back of the Canadian hundred-dollar bill.
Although for many years Waddington received little critical attention, there is a growing sense among critics of her value as a poet and as a writer. It is likely that her work will continue to grow in stature in the coming years.