The Michael Nowlan fonds. [textual records]-- 1966-1992. -- 1.80 m of textual records and ca. 20 photographs.

Biographical sketch: Michael Nowlan, educator and writer, has sought to improve the teaching of English in schools and has promoted Canadian literature, especially Atlantic Canadian literature. Michael Nowlan was born in Chatham, NB on September 1, 1937. He earned a BA (1959) from St. Thomas University and a BEd (1964) and MEd (1986) from the University of New Brunswick. He taught English in New Brunswick schools from 1961 to 1988. Nowlan taught at Oromocto High School from 1964 to 1988 and served as head of the English department and vice-principal. In 1988 he was seconded to the Department of Education as a Consultant for English Language Arts, and then served as assistant director in the Curriculum Development Branch from 1989 until his retirement in 1994.

Nowlan began writing as a hobby, and started publishing reviews and articles in the early 1970s. He wrote book reviews and articles for The Daily Gleaner and The Oromocto Post, and commentaries and book reviews for CBC radio in Fredericton. He has written for many other publications, including New Brunswick, The Atlantic Advocate, and The Canadian Review.

Michael Nowlan is a poet whose work has been published in several magazines and journals, and he has produced four collections of poetry: So Still Houses (1985), Godes Rice: A Poem Sequence (1988), Without Introductions (1989), and The Other Side (1997).

In 1977, Nowlan compiled and published a Literary Map of New Brunswick. He is the author of two children's books: Absolutely Absalom (1981) and Yellow Boots for Bobby (1984). He co-authored two books: Newfoundland Fish Boxes: A Chronicle of the Fishery (1982) and Creating An Enterprise Culture (1995), and in 1992 produced The Last Bell: Memories of New Brunswick Christmas, a collection of poems and stories about Christmas.

Nowlan has spent much time on editorial projects, particularly of school curriculum materials. He edited five anthologies: The Maritime Experience (1975), Canadian Myths and Legends (1976), Stubborn Strength (1983), A Land, A People (1986), and Michael Whelan: Folk Poet of Renous River (1990).

Michael Nowlan has also been an active member of many professional and community organizations, including the Canadian Council of Teachers of English and the Oromocto and Area United Way. A copy of his curriculum vitae, dated November 1997, is located before the first file in this fonds.

Scope and content: This fonds documents the writing career of Michael O. Nowlan, as well as much of his work as a teacher of English and advocate of Canadian literature. The fonds consists largely of correspondence to and from Nowlan, and drafts and notes for articles and books. Also

included are committee minutes, newspaper clippings, and a few photographs. Despite the existence of separate "Correspondence" files, almost every file in the fonds contains correspondence, usually associated with the material in the file.

The fonds is divided into 5 series: 1. Articles, Book Reviews, and Commentaries; 2. Books, Anthologies, and Study Guides; 3. Correspondence; 4. Other Literary Activities and Associations; 5. Published Material.
 
 

Title based on the name of the creator.

The fonds was deposited with Harriet Irving Library, Archives & Special Collections by Michael Nowlan on February 25, 1997. Further accruals are expected.

Original file titles have been retained, including Nowlan's notes. The archivist sometimes annotated file titles with the addition of dates or explanatory notes.

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