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Pamela Porter
Born Pamela Paige Porter
(1956-07-14) July 14, 1956 (age 69)
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Occupation Writer
Nationality Canadian
Period 2002 – present
Genre Poetry, children’s fiction
Notable works The Crazy Man
Spouse Rob Porter
Children 2

Pamela Paige Porter, born on July 14, 1956, is a talented Canadian writer. She writes both novels for young people and poetry. Pamela was born in New Mexico, USA, and lived in several American states before moving to Canada. She now lives in British Columbia with her husband, Rob Porter. Pamela is well-known for her books for young adults, especially The Crazy Man. Her poems have also won several awards and have been published in many magazines.

About Pamela Porter

Pamela's Early Life

Pamela Porter lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, until she was about five years old. Her father worked for an insurance company, and his job caused the family to move often. They moved to Dallas, Texas, and then to Monroe, Louisiana, when Pamela was 12.

In Louisiana, Pamela attended Robert E. Lee Junior High. She remembers the school being very strict. She also saw how some people treated African American staff with disrespect. This made her very interested in world politics and the civil rights movement, which she learned about by watching the news.

Pamela first discovered poetry by looking through her English language arts book. She enjoyed reading short poems and books of poetry from the library. She especially liked poems by Robert Frost, like "Desert Places." Pamela felt she was always meant to be a writer. She even preferred playing a game called "Authors" over "Scrabble" when she was a child.

Pamela's Later Life

Pamela Porter went to Southern Methodist University for her first degree. She later earned a special degree in poetry writing from the University of Montana. When she first started university, she was very interested in learning different languages. She studied German and thought about becoming a translator.

Pamela was 19 when she took her first writing class. She learned from several great teachers, including Lorna Crozier and Patrick Lane. After finishing her poetry degree, she received a scholarship to attend a special writing conference in Vermont.

Pamela met her husband, Rob, in a bell choir. Before they had children, they traveled a lot. They lived in places like Sunspot, New Mexico, and Seattle. They later moved to Ulm, Montana, to be closer to Rob's family. Today, Pamela and Rob live near Sidney, British Columbia.

Pamela has also taught writing at the University of Victoria. For many generations, Rob's family has visited Saskatchewan every summer to work on their farm.

Pamela Porter's Books and Poems

Pamela Porter has written many books for children and young adults, as well as several collections of poetry.

Books for Young People

  • Sky (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2004)
  • The Crazy Man (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2005)
  • I’ll Be Watching (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2011)

Picture Books for Children

  • Yellow Moon, Apple Moon, illustrated by Matt James (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2008)

Poetry Collections

  • Poems for the Luminous World (Victoria, BC: Frog Hollow Press, 2002)
  • Stones Call Out (Regina, SK: Coteau Books, 2006)
  • The Intelligence of Animals (Omaha, NE: The Backwaters Press, 2008)
  • Cathedral (Vancouver: Ronsdale Press, 2010)
  • No Ordinary Place (Vancouver: Ronsdale Press, 2012)
  • Late Moon (Vancouver: Ronsdale Press, 2013)
  • House Made of Rain (Vancouver: Ronsdale Press, 2014)
  • Defending Darkness (Vancouver: Ronsdale Press, 2016)
  • Likely Stories (Vancouver: Ronsdale Press, 2019)

Books Translated into Other Languages

Some of Pamela Porter's books have been translated so that children in other countries can read them.

  • 노란 달, 사과 달 (Seoul: Glbburi, 2008) (This is a Korean translation of Yellow Moon, Apple Moon)
  • 어느 날 그가 왔다 (Seoul: Sanha Publishing Co., 2012) (This is a Korean translation of The Crazy Man)
  • Lune jaune, à bientôt (Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2014) (This is a French translation of Yellow Moon, Apple Moon)

Awards and Recognition

Pamela Porter has won many awards for her writing, especially for her book The Crazy Man.

Awards for The Crazy Man

Awards for Other Works

  • 2009 New Mexico Book Award for Yellow Moon, Apple Moon
  • 2010 Vallum Magazine Poem of the Year Award
  • 2011 Prism International Grand Prize for Poetry
  • 2011 Pat Lowther Award in Poetry finalist for Cathedral
  • 2012 FreeFall Magazine Poetry Award
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