Joan Givner
GIVNER, Joan Mary
Writer
Joan Givner (nee Short) graduated from the University of London with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in 1958 and a Ph.D. in 1972. She earned a Masters degree in Arts from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri in 1965. While in the United States she taught high school from 1959 until 1961. She then taught English at Port Huron Junior College (now St Clair County Community College) from 1961 until 1965. Givner joined the predecessor of the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus, as a Lecturer of English in 1965 and in 1972 became an Assistant Professor, in 1975 an Associate Professor and in 1981 she became a Professor of English. Joan retired from the University of Regina in 1995 to Victoria, British Columbia and taught creative writing at Malaspina College – Cowichan Campus during the spring of 1997.
Givner has published several books: Katherine Anne Porter: A Life (1982), Tentacles of Unreason, (1985), Katherine Anne Porter: Conversations, Introduction, (1987); Unfortunate Incidents (1988), Mazo de la Roche: The Hidden Life (1989), Katherine Anne Porter: A Life (Revised Edition) (1991), Scenes from Provincial Life (1991), The Self-Portrait of a Literary Biographer (1993), In the Garden of Henry James (1996), Thirty-four Ways of Looking at Jane Eyre: Essays and Fiction (1998) Half Known Lives (2001), Playing Sarah Berhardt (2004) and a series of books for young adults: Ellen’s Book of Life; Ellen Fremedon, Voluneteer; Ellen Fremedon, Journalist. She has also published numerous short stories, published articles in Studies in Short Fiction, Genre, International Fiction Review, Southwest Review and Descant to name a few. She has also contributed chapters for several books and delivered many papers and readings on Katherine Anne Porter and other topics across Canada and the United States
Givner currently resides in a small seaside town north of Victoria, B.C. Although she is retired from teaching, Joan still continues to write fiction books such as Half Known Lives and Ellen Fremedon as well as reviewing books for B.C. Bookworld, The Toronto Star, Books in Canada and other publications.
Written with information
from Joan Givner
Photo courtesy of Joan Givner
Photo credit: Deddeda Stemler
Archival Collections (Finding Aids in PDF format)
84-4 - Various Authors Papers, Various Organizations and Publications. 1961-1982
85-92 - Personal and Professional Papers, 1966-1985
86-61 - Personal and Professional Papers, 1906-1986
87-84 - Personal and Professional Papers, 1981-1987
88-13 - Short stories and material on Katherine Anne Porter. 1981-1982
89-72 - Drafts for Givner’s Mazo de la Roche The Hidden Life, 1929-1989
90-93 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1976-1987
92-25 - Personal and Professional Papers, 1978-1992
93-72 - Personal and Professional Papers, 1979-1999
94-79 - Personal and Professional Papers, 1968-1995
95-35 - Personal and Professional Papers, 1990-1995
98-2 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1989-1997
99-19 - Personal and Professional Papers, 1997-1998
2000-55 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1997-2000
2001-48 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1997-2001
2002-22 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1988-2002
2005-14 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1995-2005
2005-33 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1995-2005
2006-24 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1995-2005
2010-10 - Personal and Professional Papers. 1955-2008
2012-35 - Writing and Research on Katherine Anne Porter, 1820-1983
2012-59 - Correspondence and Scrapbook on Katherine Anne Porter, 1914-2012
2016-14 - Correspondence to J. (Scott) Byrd, 1993, 1994