Ian Young (writer)

Ian Young
BornJanuary 5, 1945
Occupationnon-fiction, journalism, poetry
NationalityCanadian
Period1970s-present
Notable worksThe Gay Muse, The Male Homosexual in Literature

Ian Young (born January 5, 1945) is an English-Canadian poet, editor, literary critic, and historian. He was a member of the University of Toronto Homophile Association, the first post-Stonewall gay organization in Canada.[1][2] He founded Canada's first gay publishing company, Catalyst Press, in 1970,[1] printing over thirty works of poetry and fiction by Canadian, British, and American writers until the press ceased operation in 1980.[2] His work has appeared in Canadian Notes & Queries, The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, Rites and Continuum,[3] as well as in more than fifty anthologies.[4] He was a regular columnist for The Body Politic from 1975 to 1985[1] and for Torso between 1991 and 2008.[5]

Young is best known for his work as editor of the anthology The Gay Muse[6] and the bibliography The Male Homosexual in Literature.[7] He edited The Male Muse: A Gay Anthology, the first English-language anthology of poetry with gay male themes.[2] In 1974, a shipment of The Male Muse was seized and burned by British customs officials.[2]

He was interested in ceremonial magic during the 1980s and was a founding member of the Hermetic Order of the Silver Sword.[5]

His recent book, Encounters with Authors (2013), featured historical and critical essays on the work of three noted Canadian LGBT writers, Scott Symons, Robin Hardy and Norman Elder.[8]

  1. ^ a b c Aldrich, Robert (2002). Who's Who in Contemporary Gay and Lesbian History: From World War II to the Present Day. Psychology Press. p. 458. ISBN 9780415291613. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  2. ^ a b c d McLeod, Donald W. (Donald Wilfred) (1996). Lesbian and gay liberation in Canada : a selected annotated chronology, 1964-1975. Toronto: ECW Press/Homewood Books. ISBN 1550222732. OCLC 35108319.
  3. ^ "Authors: Ian Young". Ryerson University Library & Archives. 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  4. ^ Dube, Peter (2012). Best Gay Stories 2012. Lethe Press. p. 151. ISBN 9781590213865. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  5. ^ a b Percy, William (December 2, 2011). "Ian Young". Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  6. ^ New, William (2002). Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada. University of Toronto Press. p. 420. ISBN 9780802007612. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  7. ^ Gunn, Drewey Wayne (September 18, 2010). "'All of Me (Can You Take All of Me?)' by Dirk Vanden". Lambda Literary Review. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
  8. ^ "‘Encounters with Authors: Essays on Scott Symons, Robin Hardy, Norman Elder’ by Ian Young". Lambda Literary Foundation, August 26, 2013.