Fonds consists mainly of poems by Gordon Burles, 1970-2017. Manuscripts contain about twenty-seven hundred poems, mainly in free verse, some with revisions. Poems are numbered in chronological order. About 2016 Burles stopped numbering each poem. The year of creation is indicated with each poem.…
ca. 36.5 cm textual records + 9 CD-R (textual records). -- 7 photographs : prints, negatives.
History / Biographical
James Gordon Burles, b.1949, is a poet, surveyor and civil servant at Banff, Alberta, Canada. A native of Banff, Burles is a student of the Canadian Rockies. In Burles' own words, much of his poetry is inspired by four environments: the life and history of Banff National Park, the town of Banff, the Okanagan Valley, and Calgary.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists mainly of poems by Gordon Burles, 1970-2017. Manuscripts contain about twenty-seven hundred poems, mainly in free verse, some with revisions. Poems are numbered in chronological order. About 2016 Burles stopped numbering each poem. The year of creation is indicated with each poem. Some poems pertain to mountain personalities such as Bill Peyto, Norman Sanson, Margaret Stone, Walter D. Wilcox, Walter J. Phillips, Conrad Kain, and Georgia Engelhard. Many are surrealist or nonsense poems and many deal with the Cemetery Tea House, an imaginary teahouse frequented by various characters.
Fonds consists of three series: I : Poetry Manuscripts; II : Prose and research; III: Digital typeset copies of published poems
Some poems deal with Burle's parents and family. The collection also holds fifty-three books and booklets, self-published by the author from 1984 to 2017. The books published from 2003 to 2017 contain all the poems which the author considers worth preserving. Some in one book have been revised in a later book. Some poems were revised more than once. The three books published in 1984, 1986, and 1990 are considered by the author as early works. Only the poems in those books that the author considered worth publishing have been republished in the 2003-2017 books. Names in the poem titles are usually made up.
Some titles are tongue-in-cheek. There were so many poems that the author resorted to names like "Portrait for Bertrand Clerihew-Guggenheim" to make it easier. Some titles, of course, are obviously connected to the content of the poem. Many titles were long enough to preclude the difficulty of getting the graphic designer to centre the title over the poem! Also included are manuscripts, research materials, articles, and notes etc. regarding Bill Peyto, the Copper Mountain Mine, Banff National Park museum, logging roads in the Johnson Lake area, and the Sanson-Bethune connection.
Photographs pertain to remains of hay rake and wagon in the Third Vermilion Lake area (1975) and remains of the Queen of the Hills Mine, above Silver City (1977).
CD-ROMS's contain typeset copies of manuscripts by Gordon Burles in Pagemaker, In Design and .pdf file formats. Manuscripts include "The Jagged Harmony," 2005, "An Avenue Without End," 2005, "That Perfect Elsewhere," n.d., "Much Like A Dream," 2004, "All the Universe of Sight," 2006, "Those Grand Poplars," 2004, "Lords of Many Orchards: Selected Best Poems of Gordon Burles," 2003, "That trellis of tombs: Further Selected Poems of Gordon Burles," 2004, "The Closing of Many Doors: More Poems by Gordon Burles," 2006.
II : Prose and research includes "Life story of James Gordon Burles," 2022
Notes
Books of poetry published by Gordon Burles are located in the Whyte Museum Archives Library 05.1/B92.
In 2018 Gordon Burles compiled a listing of the original poems that were edited and re-published. This list is in the M196 document file, and is also a PDF attached to the fonds level record
CD-ROMs contains Digital typeset copies of published poems by Gordon Burles, the following poems:
1. Lords of many orchards : selected best poems of Gordon Burles 2003 Oct
2. Those grand poplars : a later selection of poems of Gordon Burles 2004 June
3. That trellis of tombs : further selected poe…
CD-ROMs contains Digital typeset copies of published poems by Gordon Burles, the following poems:
1. Lords of many orchards : selected best poems of Gordon Burles 2003 Oct
2. Those grand poplars : a later selection of poems of Gordon Burles 2004 June
3. That trellis of tombs : further selected poems of Gordon Burles 2004 Mar
4. Much like a dream : more poems by Gordon Burles 2005 Jan
5. The jagged harmony : more poems by Gordon Burles 2005 Mar
6. An avenue without end : more poems by Gordon Burles 2005 Oct
7. All the universe of sight : more poems by Gordon Burles 2006 April
8. That perfect elsewhere : new poems and revisions by Gordon Burles 2006 Aug
9. The orchard of humanness 2006 Dec
10. The closing of many doors : more poems by Gordon Burles 2006 May
11. Pangs of yesterday : more poems 2007 July
12. Light and dark remain : more poems 2007 Mar
13. The logic of light and dark : new poems and old favourites 2007 Oct
14. The glory in a fossil: new poems and old favourites 2008 April
15. Laneways of humanness : new poems and revisions 2008 Feb
16. The joy of poetry : new works by Gordon Burles plus some favourites from other authors 2008 July
17. If there were gods : more poems 2008 Nov
18. The dolorous rain : some favourite Cemetery Tea House poems 2008 Sep
19. The sublimity of a gate : new poems and old favourites 2009 April
20. That tyrant sun : new poems and old favourites 2009 Dec
21. Music which lasts forever : more poems by Gordon Burles plus poems by Edward Thomas 2009 Feb
22. The universe of dreams : more poems 2009 Jan
23. An ammonite amid flowers : new poems and old favourites 2009 June
24. The poignancy of being : new poems and old favourites 2009 Oct
25. The lilies of the sea : new poems and old favourites 2010 Dec
26. Death will be his bailiwick: new poems and old favourites 2010 Feb
27. That venerable honeysuckle: new poems and old favourites 2010 May
28. World without end : new poem and revisions 2010 Nov
29. The mystery in experience : new poems and revisions 2010 Sep
30. Strange plenitudes : new poems and old favourites 2011 Jan
31. Lengthening shadows : new poems 2011 June
32. Halcyon summers : revisions and old favourites 2011 Mar
33. The furious plenitude : new poems and revisions 2011 Nov
34. Wreathed in sadness : new poems 2012 Apr
35. The magic of experience : new poems 2012 Aug
36. Love and malice spent : new poems and revision 2012 Jan
37. Steal moments from the gods : new poems and revision 2013 Jan
38. The teeming world : new poems 2013 Jun
39. Summer’s remnants : new poems 2014 Apr
40. The hornet in the orchard : new poems 2014 Jan
41. The adoration of reality : new poems 2014 Jun
42. Past where all roads end : new poems 2014 Nov
43. Grand unknowingness: new poems 2014 Sep
44. Lichens persist triumphant : new poems and revisions 2015 Aug
45. The eternity within us : new poems and revisions 2015 Dec
46. Open upon eternity : new poems 2015 Jun
47. That adjacent pony wall : new poems and revisions 2015 Mar
48. Extravagant love : new poems and revisions 2016 Jun
49. Timeless moments : new poems and revisions 2016 May
50. Fine weather predicted : new poems 2017 Jan
51. A View Into the Past 2017 Aug
52. Fleeting Summer 2018 Feb
File contains the following poems:
2551. Tableau of April for Eleanor, 2009—subject: old age
2552. Memoir for Kathleen, Annie, and Mary, 2009—subject: city at night
2553. End of a love affair, 2009—subject: city at night
2554. Meditation in spring, 2009—subject: based on flagstone path at author’s…
File contains the following poems:
2551. Tableau of April for Eleanor, 2009—subject: old age
2552. Memoir for Kathleen, Annie, and Mary, 2009—subject: city at night
2553. End of a love affair, 2009—subject: city at night
2554. Meditation in spring, 2009—subject: based on flagstone path at author’s house
2555. Incident in late May, 2009—subject: based on meeting with Reg Hope
2556. Poem in spring for Lucinda Mayhope, 2009—subject: semi-surrealist poem
2557. We are etched upon darkness, 2009—subject: Night Council; city at night
2558. A Banff moment, 2009—subject: based on incident in Banff coffee shop
2559. Tableau for Kiristelle in autumn, 2009—subject: based on Okanagan Lake
2560. Tableau for Sandra Mortenson, 2009—subject: spring
2561. Letter to Kristelle Upton, 2009—subject: cemetery
2562. Memoir for Huay Tsin Tsu, 2009—subject: based on Okanagan Lake
2563. Tableau for Christabel, 2009—subject: Reverend Jellicoe; unnumbered revision is included here
2564. Letter to Huay, 2009—subject: collage-like poem
2565. Memoir of October, 2009—subject: Lydia and cemetery
2566. Another letter to Huay Tsin,2009—subject: Mum’s wisdom
2567. Remembering Kathleen, 2009—subject: photo of Mum in album; revision without number is included here
2568. Winter incident, 2009—subject: shovelling snow and musing
2569. Portrait for Anya, 2010—subject: winter
2570. Incident for Katarina, 2010—subject: surrealist poem
2571. Immanuel Can’t, 2010—old philosopher
2572. Incident in late spring, 2010—subject: based on house on Buffalo Street; two unnumbered revisions are included here
2573. No abbreviated attire, 2010—subject: surrealist poem
2574. Tableau in late Spring, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House poem
2575. Portrait for Gisela, 2010—subject: city at night
2576. Tableau for Michelle Audet, 2010—subject: poet in garden
2577. Tableau for Augustine, 2010—subject: fossil shop
2578. Portrait of a sunny day, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House poem
2579. Tableau for Etherspear Dodgson, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2580. Narrative for Wallace, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House poem
2581. Experience in May, 2010—subject: spring; revision of earlier poem
2582. Hallowed be the night, 2010—subject: Reverend Jellicoe
2583. Tableau for Mayumi, 2010—subject: theodolite; Cemetery Tea House poem
2584. Incident for Mayumi and Wallace, 2010—subject: summer
2585. Corn-on-the-cob for Eckie, 2010—subject: nonsense poem; four unnumbered revision are included here
2586. Portrait for Persephone, 2010—subject: based on Summerland, B.C.
2587. Tableau for Lousandra, 2010—subject: Lydia, Myrmidon
2588. Tableau for Kathleen, 2010—subject: marquis travelling
2589. Portrait for Natalia, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2590. Tableau for Deirdre Wasserman, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House; revised later
2591. The kingdom of the free mind, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House; revised later
2592. Tableau for Jensen Hylake, 2010—subject: surrealist poem
2593. Portrait of morning for Hadrian, 2010—subject: road to cemetery
2594. Portrait for Lousandra Upham, 2010—subject: based on Park Museum
2595. Tableau for Nigel Westmacotte, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2596. Portrait for Hortensia, 2010—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2597. Penultimate tableau for Ouida, 2011—subject: autumn; four unnumbered revisions here
2598. Tableau for Madeleine, 2011—subject: based on Okanagan Lake
2599. Tableau for Anzia Black, 2011—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2600. Homage to the uncreated, 2011—subject: Helen Jellicoe’s funeral
File contains the following poems:
2601. Tableau for Huay Tsin, 2011—subject: Mt. Inglismaldie
2602. Portrait for Sibyl, 2011—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2603. Memoir for Suzanne, 2011—subject: group of friends
2604. Tableau for Hilary, 2011—subject: Lydia
2605. Incident for Amanda, 2011—subject: …
File contains the following poems:
2601. Tableau for Huay Tsin, 2011—subject: Mt. Inglismaldie
2602. Portrait for Sibyl, 2011—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2603. Memoir for Suzanne, 2011—subject: group of friends
2604. Tableau for Hilary, 2011—subject: Lydia
2605. Incident for Amanda, 2011—subject: Cemetery Tea House; revision of earlier poem; three unnumbered revisions are included here
2606. Another portrait for Madeleine, 2011—subject: Cemetery Tea House; revised later
2607. Tableau for Jacinda, 2011—subject: shadowy bistro
2608. In Memoriam, 2012—subject: Mum and Dad
2609. Tableau for Veronique, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House; revised later
2610. Portrait for Lucinda, 2012—subject: Nocturnal Council
2611. Words of Lydia, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2612. Tableau of August, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2613. Tableau for Nathan, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2614. Portrait for Andrea, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2615. Tableau for Lynne, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2616. Portrait for Lathom, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2617. Tableau for Huinme, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2618. Motor on, Lucinda, 2012—subject: fossil shop
2619. Tableau for Chehiro, 2012—subject: cabin, Myrmidon
2620. Portrait for Latimer Wesley, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2621. Lydia’s Tea House memories, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2622. Tableau for Sarah Upton, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2623. Hold ‘er, Newt, 2012—subject: semi-surrealist poem
2624. Portrait for Lousandra Weston, 2012—subject: Reverend Jellicoe
2625. Autumn twilight, 2012—subject: remembering mother
2626. Tableau for Nathan, 2012—subject: Lydia and the mason
2627. Tableau for Jackson Caulderwood, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2628. The fossil, 2012—subject: based on ammonite in rock shop at the Banff Springs Hotel
2629. Cemetery Tea House memories, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2630. Mum and the comet, 2012—subject: based on incident, watching comet with Mum
2631. Recollection of a day in June, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2632. A portrait for Mariko and Natsuko, 2012—subject: Cemetery Tea House; revision of earlier poem
2633. None need apply, 2012—subject: surrealist poem
2634. Vision for Kathleen, 2013—subject: city at night; revised later
2635. Incident for Katrin, 2013—subject: semi-surrealist poem
2636. Portrait for Charlotte, 2013—subject: Cemetery Tea House poem
2637. Portrait for Karyn, 2013—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2638. When I was young, 2013—subject: cutting firewood with Dad
2639. June epiphany, 2013—subject: based on Banff Park
2640. Exhortation in May, 2013—subject: rhyming poem; death
2641. Lydia’s memoir, 2013—subject: based on research station just south of Summerland, B.C.
2642. Not to mention Lathom, 2013—subject: surrealist poem
2643. Portrait for Huay Tsin, 2013—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2644. Tableau for Lousandra, 2013—subject: Reverend Jellicoe
2645. Tableau for Angelika, 2014—subject: cold day in Banff
2646. Portrait for Shigeru, 2014—subject: summer
2647. Tableau for dear old Wallace, 2014—subject: surrealist poem
2648. Portrait for Youngsook, 2014—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2649. Drawing comment from the populace, 2014—subject: Reverend Jellicoe
2650. Tableau for Nigel Annisette, 2014—subject: Reverend Jellicoe
File contains the following poems:
2651. Portrait for Amiko, 2014—subject: Lydia
2652. Tableau for Muriel Eastcott, 2014—subject: Lydia
2653. Portrait for Celia, 2014—subject: Lydia, Cemetery Tea House
2654. Only one knife, 2014—subject: death of author’s mother
2655. The comet, 2014—subject: base…
File contains the following poems:
2651. Portrait for Amiko, 2014—subject: Lydia
2652. Tableau for Muriel Eastcott, 2014—subject: Lydia
2653. Portrait for Celia, 2014—subject: Lydia, Cemetery Tea House
2654. Only one knife, 2014—subject: death of author’s mother
2655. The comet, 2014—subject: based on watching comet with Mum
2656. Vision for Nigel, 2014—subject: apple orchard
2657. Recollection in June, 2014—subject: based on horseback trip with Dad
2658. Tableau for Erin, 2014—subject: Spring
2659. Memoir for Denise, 2014—subject: semi-surrealist poem
2660. Portrait for Lucinda, 2013—subject: fossilhunter
2661. Toward the adoration of reality, 2014—subject: surrealist poem
2662. Memoir for Laetitia, 2014—subject: fossil shark toothplate found at Sundance Canyon
2663. Tableau for Girard, 2014—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2664. Portrait for Phyllis, 2014—subject: Reverend Jellicoe
2665. Dreams die quietly, 2014—subject: elderly lady living alone
2666. Recollection for Sandra, 2014—subject: Nelson Cain’s illness and death
2667. Portrait for Hannah, 2014—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2668. Tableau for Inje, 2014—subject: Cemetery Tea House, Lydia
2669. Reality means business, 2014—subject: semi-surrealist poem
2670. Penultimate tableau for Natalie, 2014—subject: apple orchard
2671. Autumn adventure, 2014—subject: Lydia, Cemetery Tea House
2672. Memoir of spring, 2014—subject: author’s mother in hospital
2673. Tableau dedicated to November, 2014—subject: city at night
2674. Portrait for Yukari, 2014—subject: Cemetery Tea House; two unnumbered revisions are included here; they are dated 2015
2675. Portrait for Nigel, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House; one unnumbered revision is included here
2676. Lydia’s last dream, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House; collage-like poem; four unnumbered revisions are included here
2677. Memoir for Paul Glover, 2015—subject: Paul Glover, Anglican minister at St. George’s in the sixties
2678. Portrait for Marion, 2015—subject: Lydia, Myrmidon
2679. Tableau for Jennings, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House, Lydia
2680. Let the surveyor know, 2015—subject: surrealist poem
2681. Tableau for Jeremy, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2682. Incident for Latimer, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House, Lydia
2683. Tableau for Elspeth, 2015—subject: surrealist poem
2684. Portrait for Hendrick, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2685. Tableau for Giselda, 2015—subject: magus and his bride; revision; unnumbered revision included here
2686. Incident, 2015—subject: author not wishing to write any more poems
2687. Tableau for Natsumi, 2015—subject: surrealist poem
2688. Portrait for Annalee, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House; fossilhunter
2689. Tableau for Ciera, 2015—subject: musings on life’s work
2690. Memoir for Kristelle, 2015—subject: staff party at Sundance Canyon in the sixties
2691. Another tableau for Jesse, 2015—subject: arriving at lodge Christmas Eve; three unnumbered revisions included here
2692. Another portrait for Oliana, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House; one unnumbered revision included here
2693. Tableau for Megan, 2015—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2694. Tableau for Sayoko, 2016—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2695. Poem missing
2696. Second portrait for Emi, 2016—subject: revision of poem about Nocturnal Council
2697. Tableau for Taeko, 2016—subject: Perpetual Tea Room
2698. Ten ways from breakfast, 2016—subject: humorous poem
2699. Spring, 2016—subject: collage-like poem
2700. Tableau for Elishta, 2016—subject: spider and philosopher
File contains the following poems:
2701. Vision for Kathleen, 2016—subject: revision of early poem
2702. Memoir in November, 2016—subject: revision of earlier poem
2703. Tableau for Marika, 2016—subject: Lydia in winter
2704. Portrait for Andrea, 2016—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2705. Our strange …
File contains the following poems:
2701. Vision for Kathleen, 2016—subject: revision of early poem
2702. Memoir in November, 2016—subject: revision of earlier poem
2703. Tableau for Marika, 2016—subject: Lydia in winter
2704. Portrait for Andrea, 2016—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2705. Our strange being, 2016—subject: meditation on life
2706. Tableau for Huay Tsin, 2016—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2707. Incident for Laetitia, 2016—subject: following Permian rock layer
2708. Memory of summer, 2016—subject: walking home in summer
2709. Letter to Eileen, 2016—subject: surrealist poem
2710. Memoir for Herbert, 2016—subject: based on climb of Cascade by author and Herb MacAulay in about 1964
2711. Homage to Drucilla Lewthwaite, 2016—subject: surrealist poem
2712. Second portrait of August, 2016—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2713. Incident in spring, 2016—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2714. Memory for Nadia, 2017—subject: based on incident in author’s youth
2715. Tableau for Elizabeth, 2017—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2716. Incident for Jason, 2017—subject: Reverend Jellicoe
2717. Tableau for Mrs. Saddington, 2017—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2718. Tableau for Miranda, 2017—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2719. Another portrait for Izumi, 2017—subject: Reverend Jellicoe
2720. Incident in springtime, 2017—subject: based on class reunion for author’s class in June of 2017; not published in my books
2721. Fossilhunting, 2017—subject: finding fossils
2722. Memoir for Herb, 2017—subject: based on climb of Sleeping Giant by Herb MacAulay and author about 1965
2723. Sermon for Hermione, 2017—subject: meditation on life
2724. Poem for Reg, 2017—subject: based on story told to author by Reg Hope about him and his cousin in 1950s
2725. Tableau for Kylie, 2018—subject: Cemetery Tea House
2726. Tableau for Lucia, 2018—subject: based on research station just south of Summerland, B.C.
2727. Tableau for Deirdre Wasserman, 2018—subject: revision of earlier poem
2728. The kingdom of the free mind, 2018—subject: revision of earlier poem