Moira MacDougall‘s artistic life began as a serious student of classical ballet and modern dance. It is poetry however, that has wed her love of movement and rhythm with voice and linguistic performance. She is published in Canadian and American literary journals. Bone Dream (Tightrope Books, 2009), was her first collection of poems. Her second collection, Vanishing Acts was published by Pedlar Press (2019). Academically, her studies include undergraduate degrees in English, Humanities and Psychology, and an M.A. in Adult Education. She lives in The Beach in Toronto, Ontario.

Publications

Anthologies:

• Vanishing Acts, Pedlar Press, March 31, 2019
• Bone Dream, Tightrope Books, May 25, 2009

Poems:

• Sky and After Her Death, My Friend’s Suit, The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, 2001
• Leaving the Tall Office Building for a Walk by the River, Wind Magazine, 2001
• Glass Light Thaw and Eartha Kitt Goes To Lunch, The Dalhousie Review, 2002
• Double Vision, Qwerty, 2003
• The Clitoral Truth – 1916, Grain Magazine, 2002
• Fishy Truth, A Room of One’s Own, 2005
• The Haptic Sensibility, Vesica Piscis, Mizuko Jizo, The Harpweaver, 2005
• Trespass, Kalliope, 2006
• Lazarus, Does the Body End, The Antigonish Review, 2006
• Sexy Bones, Room, 2007
• Buddhist Cravings, Canadian Literature, 2008
• Rejection, Contemporary Verse 2 (CV2), 2008
• My Dance Teacher’s Feet, Descant (accepted for 2010 edition but crossover with publication date of Bone Dream created editorial challenges)
• Boreal Lungs, Freefall Magazine, Fall 2016
• Vanishing, Naugatuck River Review, Winter, 2018 (Semi-finalist Narrative Poetry Contest, Judge:  Kaveh Akbar)

Literary Assignments

• Poetry Editor, Literary Review of Canada, December 2009 to present
• Associate Poetry Editor, Literary Review of Canada, 2008 – 2009
• Assistant Poetry Editor, Literary Review of Canada, 2006 – 2008
• Curator, Canada’s 25 Most Memorable Poems, LRC, 2008
• Juror, Ontario Arts Council Writer’s Reserve Fund, Diaspora Dialogues Recommender, 2009-2010

Literary Workshops

• 2013 West Chester University Poetry Conference (full scholarship), AE Stallings
• 2010 Banff Writing Studio, 2010 (5 week residential), Don McKay, Stephanie Bolster, John Glenday
• 2007 Self-organized, 2 week writing retreat, Captiva Island, Florida
• 2006 West Chester University Annual Poetry Conference, B.H. Fairchild
• 2004 West Chester University Poetry Conference (Philadelphia, PA.), Mark Jarman
• 2000, Taddle Creek, University of Toronto, Stephanie Bolster

Readings:

• Western Michigan University, Dancers Turn to Writing, February, 2013
• Vox Humana by Alex Pierce – co-reader at book launch, Brick Books, Toronto, Fall 2012
• Fringe Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, Summer 2011
• Plasticine Poetry Readings (Toronto), June 2010, June 2011
• Host, Dinner & Reading, Diaspora Dialogues with Canadian author Daniel David Moses
• Rower’s Pub Reading Series, May 2009
• Hot Sauced Words, August 2009
• Art Bar, Toronto, December 2009
• Word On The Street, Toronto, (Diaspora Dialogues), 2008

Literary Awards & Grants

• Long-list Finalist, Re-lit Awards, 2010
• Scholarship, Banff Writing Studio, 2010
• Canada Council Grant Recipient, 2011
• Scholarships, West Chester Poetry Conference, 2004, 2006, 2013
• Semi-finalist, Naugatuck River Review Narrative Poetry Contest, 2018 (Judge:  Kaveh Akbar)