Clara Kathleen "Kay" Smith (April 30, 1911 – September 18, 2004) was a Canadian poet in

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

Biography

The daughter of Charles Weber Smith and Margaret Mirey, she was born in

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...

and was educated there and at Mount Allison Ladies' College. She grew up as an only child, her only brother having died shortly before her birth. Smith published her first poem at the age of 14. After completing her education, she taught school in Saint John until 1940. From 1940 to 1942, she taught at

Alma College Alma College is a Private college, private Presbyterian Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Alma, Michigan. It enrolls approximately 1,200 students and is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accre ...

St. Thomas, Ontario St. Thomas is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It gained its city charter on March 4, 1881. The city is also the seat for Elgin County, although it is independent of the county. At the time of the 2021 Census, the population of the city w ...

. Smith then returned to Saint John and taught at Saint John Vocational School for almost 30 years. Her work appeared in various literary magazines, such as ''Contemporary Verse'', ''Canadian Poetry Magazine'' and ''

The Fiddlehead ''The Fiddlehead'' is a Canadian literary magazine, published four times annually at the University of New Brunswick. It is the oldest Canadian literary magazine which is still in circulation. History and profile ''The Fiddlehead'' was establ ...

''. In 1952, she published her first book of poetry, ''Footnote to the Lord's Prayer and Other Poems''. She was named a life member of the

League of Canadian Poets The League of Canadian Poets (LCP), founded in 1966, is a national non-profit arts service organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The organization acts as the national association of professional and aspiring poets in Canada. The League co ...

in 1986 and received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of New Brunswick two years later. In 1991, she received the

Alden Nowlan Alden Albert Nowlan (; January 25, 1933 – June 27, 1983) was a Canadian poet, novelist, and playwright. History Alden Nowlan was born into rural poverty in Stanley, Nova Scotia, adjacent to Mosherville, and close to the small town of Windso ...

Award for Excellence in English-Language Literary Arts. In 1992, the literary journal ''The Cormorant'' dedicated an issue to her life and work. Smith died in hospital in

Hampton, New Brunswick Hampton is a town in Kings County, New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fu ...

after an extended illness. A portrait of Smith by artist Miller Brittain is part of the collection of the New Brunswick Museum.

Bibliography

* ''Footnote to The Lord's Prayer and Other Poems''. First Statement press, 1951. * ''Five New Brunswick Poets: Elizabeth Brewster, Fred Cogswell, Robert Gibbs,

, Kay Smith'', ed. Fred Cogswell. Fredericton: University of New Brunswick, 1962. * ''At the Bottom of the Dark''. Fredericton: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1971. * ''When a Girl Looks Down''. Fredericton: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1978. * ''The Bright Particulars: New and Selected Poems''. Charlottetown: Ragweed Press, 1987. * ''The Essential Kay Smith'', ed. Michael Oliver. Erin: The Porcupine's Quill, 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Clara Kathleen 1911 births 2004 deaths Canadian women poets Writers from Saint John, New Brunswick Alma College faculty 20th-century Canadian poets 20th-century Canadian women writers Poets from New Brunswick