IN MEMORIAM: David Haskins
Remembering writer David Haskins (ca. 1945-2022)
We at CAROUSEL were deeply sorry to hear of the passing of teacher, father, writer and friend to literature, David Haskins, of Grimsby, Ontario. An emigrant from post-war Britain, Haskins spent his entire adult life in Ontario, where he taught high school English for 36 years, and will continue to be fondly remembered by students as an engaged, thoughtful and kind teacher.
As a writer, Haskins was the author of over 150 published writings, including the poetry collection Reclamation (Borealis Press, 2000), the essay collection This House is Condemned (Wolsak & Wynn, 2013), which was shortlisted for Hamilton Arts Council Literary Award for Non-fiction and the Kerry Schooley Award, and most recently the poetry collection Blood Rises (Guernica Editions, 2020).
Haskins was also an important part of the CAROUSEL community: we’ve published his poetry (read his poem “Burning Chair” here); he’s performed at issue launch events; we reviewed Blood Rises as part of our USEREVIEW program (read the full review here); and he was a cherished friend (or even just a welcome friendly face) to many of our editors and contributors over the years.
Preceded in death by his wife, Haskins leaves behind two sons, as well as a large number of devoted mentees, fans and friends who will grieve the loss of such a fine resident of the literary community.
