Joan Crate

NeWest author Joan Crate was born in Yellowknife and has lived in several cities and towns in B.C, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. She dropped out of high school, married young, and has worked as a waitress, model, usher, copy writer, theatre house manager, census commissioner, sales clerk, placement officer, editor, summer camp leader, and commercial writer, among other things. She studied Communications at Cariboo College, and went on to complete an MA with distinction at the University of Calgary.

Crate's novel, Breathing Water, was short-listed for the Commonwealth Book Award and the Books in Canada First Novel Award in 1989.  Her book of poetry, Foreign Homes, was short-listed for the Pat Lowther Award and listed as Book of the Year by Vue Magazine in 2002. Her first poetry book, Pale as Real Ladies: Poems for Pauline Johnson is in its sixth printing and has been used in several university courses. In 2008, her poem “I am a Prophet” was nominated for the Most Memorable Canadian poem by the Literary Review of Canada. Her latest book of poetry, SubUrban Legends, was be released in March 2009.

Joan Crate currently lives in Calgary, with her husband and children. She teaches English at Red Deer College.