Renée Harper
Writer • Artist • Instructor
“Encompassed by a precision of language and morning light clarity, stylistically Harper has created poems that are sharp-edged, infused with fresh air, never overwrought or overwritten. The immediate focus often leads to a kind of telescoping comprehension, from the near object to the longer, more distant view. Looking to re-find a sense of innocence, even optimism, by reaching into connection with the natural world, this poet makes it clear what it is that matters, what engages, visceral and sensory perceptions strengthened by a grasp of mortality. ”
“Boundary Territory moves gracefully across species, geographical, and consciousness boundaries. Clever, funny, moving, and urgent, these poems experiment with form and content and are wildly successful at invoking believable, sensory encounters between human and environment. I recommend these poems to readers interested in ecological relationality, interspecies communication, and the beautiful moments of being human in wild and not-so-wild places.”
Renée Harper (she/they) is a writer, artist and professor of Literature and Creative Writing at Selkirk College, located on Sinixt territory in Nelson, BC. Harper studied painting and creative writing at the Kootenay School of the Arts and holds a PhD in Canadian Literature from York University. Her academic research focuses on the ongoing settler-colonial making and unmaking of place on Syilx territory in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Through her academic and creative work, Renée aims to deepen her understanding of the complex histories and cultures of the regions she calls home.