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Love Where the Nights Are Long: An Anthology of Canadian Love Poems
Do Canadians really care about love? To find out we asked Irving Layton to select the best Canadian love poems he could find and invited Harold Town to depict a contemporary artist's point of view. This is the result - Love Where The Nights Are Long.
- GenresPoetry
78 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
27 people want to read
About the author
Irving Layton
86 books40 followersPoet, Teacher.
Born as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch, author Irving Layton immigrated to Canada in 1913, as a baby, his family settling on the infamous St. Urbain Street in the city of Montreal. In the heavily French-speaking province of Quebec, some locals were weary of English foreigners and Jewish families, however, the Lazarovitches adapted to the city where a great Canadian literary scene flourished, producing several English (Canadian) authors such as Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Louis Dudek.
In the early 1930's, Irving Layton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from MacDonald College. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Political Science. He also began teaching English, History, and Political Science at the Jewish parochial high school, Herzliah, in 1949. He taught modern English and American poetry at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and worked as a tenured professor at York University in the 1970s. He lectured occasionally at McGill University in Political Science. He taught English and Literature at the Jewish Public Library.
Irving Layton often recited his works at readings and travelled the world doing so, gaining fame and popularity. Over the course of his life, Irving Layton received many awards and honours for his writing. In 1959, Irving Layton received the Governor-General's Award for "A Red Carpet for the Sun." He was titled an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1981, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Italy and South Korea. He also received the Petrarch Award for Poetry.
Well loved, Irving led a full life surrounded by students, friends and family. He was married four times - to Faye Lynch, Harriet Bernstein, Annette Pottier and Betty Sutherland. He also lived with a woman named Aviva Cantor for several years. He fathered four children during his life named Max, Naomi, David and Samantha Clara.
Born as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch, author Irving Layton immigrated to Canada in 1913, as a baby, his family settling on the infamous St. Urbain Street in the city of Montreal. In the heavily French-speaking province of Quebec, some locals were weary of English foreigners and Jewish families, however, the Lazarovitches adapted to the city where a great Canadian literary scene flourished, producing several English (Canadian) authors such as Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Louis Dudek.
In the early 1930's, Irving Layton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from MacDonald College. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Political Science. He also began teaching English, History, and Political Science at the Jewish parochial high school, Herzliah, in 1949. He taught modern English and American poetry at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and worked as a tenured professor at York University in the 1970s. He lectured occasionally at McGill University in Political Science. He taught English and Literature at the Jewish Public Library.
Irving Layton often recited his works at readings and travelled the world doing so, gaining fame and popularity. Over the course of his life, Irving Layton received many awards and honours for his writing. In 1959, Irving Layton received the Governor-General's Award for "A Red Carpet for the Sun." He was titled an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1981, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Italy and South Korea. He also received the Petrarch Award for Poetry.
Well loved, Irving led a full life surrounded by students, friends and family. He was married four times - to Faye Lynch, Harriet Bernstein, Annette Pottier and Betty Sutherland. He also lived with a woman named Aviva Cantor for several years. He fathered four children during his life named Max, Naomi, David and Samantha Clara.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 22, 2019
Do Canadians really care about love?
Of course they do! How silly.
Fifty love poems make up this slim volume, including five from the late great Leonard Cohen. Other poets in this selection include Raymond Souster, Irving Layton, John Glassco, Gertrude Katz, A.J.M. Smith, Louis Dudek and Alden Nowlan.
Leonard Cohen's sweet and simple poem 'Song' (below) stuck with me the most.
I almost went to bed
without remembering
the four white violets
I put in the buttonhole
of your green sweater
and how I kissed you then
and you kissed me
shy as though I'd
never been your lover
Of course they do! How silly.
Fifty love poems make up this slim volume, including five from the late great Leonard Cohen. Other poets in this selection include Raymond Souster, Irving Layton, John Glassco, Gertrude Katz, A.J.M. Smith, Louis Dudek and Alden Nowlan.
Leonard Cohen's sweet and simple poem 'Song' (below) stuck with me the most.
I almost went to bed
without remembering
the four white violets
I put in the buttonhole
of your green sweater
and how I kissed you then
and you kissed me
shy as though I'd
never been your lover
May 10, 2013
I loved this spirited anthology from the audaciously irreverent introduction by Irving Layton to the wonderful selection of poems he chose that offers us such an interesting portrait of Canadian poetry in 1962 - a little disappointed by the Harold Town images that are peppered through the volume - they don't add much - but the poems themselves are splendid!
December 28, 2022
damn. poets be horny. If you wanna read poems of old men talking about feet and “parted-lips” this is for you.
May 30, 2019
The most wonderful collection of Canadian poetry. Forever enjoyable. Varied in simplicity and message.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews