The Punishment

The Punishmentis the latest addition to the oeuvre of prolific Kwantlen writer Joseph Dandurand, whose stunning previous collection,The East Side of It All, was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize.

InThe Punishment, Joseph Dandurand's now-familiar storyteller's voice wrangles trauma, grief, forgiveness and love. His poems illustrate the poet's solitary existence. With scenes of residential school, the psych ward, the streets and the river, Dandurand reveals an arduous journey: one poet's need to both understand his life and find ways to escape it. Through poetry, he shares with us all his lovers. He shares the streets. He shares what he sees: the great eagles and small birds; his culture and teachings; the East Side; self-pity; the deception of love; the deception of hate; sasquatches; spirits; and his people, the Kwantlen.

At root,The Punishmentis about survival. Dandurand's poems will show you disease. They'll show you cedar. They'll show you music. They'll show you shadows. They'll show you forgiveness, and they'll show you punishment. (FromNightwood Editions)

The Punishment is available on Sept. 16, 2022.

Joseph Dandurandis a member of the Kwantlen First Nation, located on the Fraser River about 20 minutes east of Vancouver, B.C. He resides there with his three children.

Dandurand is the director of the Kwantlen Cultural Centre and the author of several books of poetry, includingThe East Side of It All(Nightwood Editions, 2020), which was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize. In 2021, Dandurand received the BC Lieutenant Governor's Award for Literary Excellence.

• Joseph A. Dandurand shares his misery, joy and laughter in poetry collection The East Side of It All
• Michelle Good,Billy-Ray Belcourt among 2021 BC and Yukon Book Prize finalists
• Canisia Lubrin, Joseph Dandurand and Yusuf Saadi shortlisted for $65K Griffin Poetry Prize
• Why Joseph Dandurand wanted to tell his story of survival through poetry

Interviews with Joseph Dandurand

'As the city sleeps': Joseph A. Dandurand poignantly captures life on the streets in his poetry

3 years ago

Duration 0:49

Dandurand's most recent book of poetry, The East Side of it All, is on the Canadian shortlist for the Griffin Poetry Prize.