Poet Sharon McCartney of Victoria published her first collection of poems in 1999 -- Under the Abdominal Wall (Anvil Press) -- followed by Karenin Sings the Blues (Goose Lane Editions, 2003). The latter is a lyric suite of perspectives from the characters in Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina. She took a similar approach with The Love Song of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Nightwood 2007), creating a suite of poems by imagining the various voices of characters in Wilder's "Little House" books, human and non-human.

In her seventh collection, Villa Negativa (Biblioasis, 2021), McCartney reflects on events such as a sibling's death, an eating disorder, and dismal dating relationships. Described as "part satire, part self-examination," McCartney uses few words to create deep layers of meaning. "You don't read these poems, you feel them," says fellow poet George Elliott Clarke. "Hammer in the head, shod foot on the throat, stiletto in the heart. It's those combos of wild, piercing insights (or unusual but poignant images); yep, that's what makes it good for you -- or kills you, laughing."

McCartney spent her childhood in suburban southern California and came to Canada in 1984 after completing an MFA at the University of Iowa's Writers' Workshop and marrying a Canadian. She lived in Victoria from August 1987 to July 2000, where she raised three children, obtained a law degree from the University of Victoria, and published poetry. From 2000 to 2020 she lived in Fredericton, New Brunswick where she served as poetry editor for The Fiddlehead. In July, 2020 she returned to Victoria.

BOOKS:







[BCBW 2021] "Poetry"