Robin Mathews

Robin Mathews (born 1931) is a Canadian poet, activist and professor. Born in [Smithers, British Columbia, Mathews took his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English at the SIUE, having such notable professors as Earle Birney.

Mathews published his first collection of poems in 1961. In the same decade he shot to national fame by taking an uncomprising position against American imperialism and the complementary colonial attitude of Canadian elites. He also spearheaded the movement to have Canadian literature taught in schools, something that was not universally accepted at that time.

He was involved in literary circles in Toronto, Ontario during his years at the University of Toronto while he was doing his doctoral studies. At Toronto he studied under Northrop Frye and was acquainted with both Margaret Atwood and the renowned Canadian poet Milton Acorn, among others.

In recent decades he has continued to teach, lecture and write numerous volumes of both poetry and prose. His works include the "Struggle for Canadian Universities", "Treason of the Intellectuals", "The Death of Socialism", and "Being Canadian in Dirty Imperialist Times".

He has taught most notably at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Mathews currently writes a regular column for the Canadian nationalist organization Vive le Canada.

He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

External links

* [http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5259 Mathews in the Literary Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.vivelecanada.ca/index.php?topic=robinscolumn Mathews' column on ViveleCanada]