Jones, Evan 1973–

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Jones, Evan 1973–

PERSONAL: Born 1973, in Weston, Ontario, Canada. Education: York University (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), B.A., 1999, M.A., 2003.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd., 195 Allstate Pkwy., Markham, Ontario L3R 4T8, Canada.

CAREER: Poet and editor.

AWARDS, HONORS: Governor-General's Literary Award for Poetry, nomination, 2003, for Nothing Fell Today but Rain.

WRITINGS:

(Editor) New Canadian Poetry, introduction by A.F. Moritz, Fitzhenry & Whiteside (Markham, Ontario, Canada), 2000.

Introductions: Poets Present Poets, introduction by David Staines, Fitzhenry & Whiteside (Markham, Ontario, Canada), 2001.

Nothing Fell Today but Rain (poems), Fitzhenry & Whiteside (Markham, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

Contributor of poems to Descant, Malahat Review, Queen Street Quarterly, and Vallum.

SIDELIGHTS: Evan Jones is editor of the anthology New Canadian Poetry and the author of Introductions: Poets Present Poets, but he is probably best known for his poetry collection, Nothing Fell Today but Rain. This book, which was nominated for the prestigious Governor-General's Literary Award for Poetry, includes several different types of pieces, among them surrealist works and Jones's translations of seven poems by Greek poet Andréas Embiricos. Although Danforth Review critic Zach Wells found the collection to be problematic, he praised the translations, commenting that "a full-length collection of such translations would make a significant contribution to both Greek and Canadian poetry." While some of Jones's original poems are often surrealist in form and imagery, others are considerably more mundane. For example, "Inventory" is simply a three-page list of objects; other individual poems take the form of a dictionary and a travel guide. In the less-surreal works, Jones jumps back and forth between observing and confessing, and as Canadian Literature contributor Chris Jennings noted, "The effect is dramatic."