Alden Nowlan's Life: One Heart, One Way

Alden Nowlan, a poet, journalist, and novelist, was born near Windsor, Nova Scotia. Despite growing up in poverty and only receiving four grades of formal education, he defied the odds to publish 25 books, including three plays. Throughout his life, he was haunted by the ghosts of his early years, but found solace in the love of his wife and son, which inspired him to delve into the depths of human loneliness and express love's most tender emotions.

Nowlan's deep empathy for the poor and the natural world led to his work being quoted in a variety of settings, from medical school to the pulpit to military mess halls. He lived long enough to understand the importance of forgiveness and the imperfections of adults, leaving behind a legacy of wisdom in his writing.

His literary accomplishments earned him two honorary degrees and several awards, including a Guggenheim fellowship and the 1968 Governor General's Award for Poetry. In the same year, he became the writer in residence at The University of New Brunswick, a position he held until his passing in 1983.

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