The Gerry Gilbert fonds (MsC 14) includes a collection of 255 cassette tapes and 23 reel-to-reel recordings featuring interviews, readings, and literary discussions from the Gilbert-hosted radiofreerainforest show that aired on Vancouver co-op CFRO-FM Radio from spring 1985 to the late 1990s.

Collection history

Gerry Gilbert, known as Vancouver’s “Bicycle Poet,” was an important member of the Vancouver literary and artistic community from the 1960s until his death in 2009. He published nearly 20 books over a span of 40 years. He was an underground figure and actively rejected the mainstream of Canadian literature. In addition to his work as a poet, he was also a filmmaker, photographer, and performance artist.

Dating from 1985 to the late 1990s, these recordings document interviews, readings, and discussions with local national and international literary figures such as Maxine Gadd, Judith Copithorne, Steve McCaffery, bpNichol, William Burroughs, and others. These recordings provide insight into the Canadian literary landscape and chronicle Canada’s most important writers during the 1980s and 1990s in conversation with an equally important member of the Canadian writing and arts scenes.

Acknowledgments

SFU Library gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre’s B.C. History Digitization Program and the SSHRC-funded SpokenWeb project to make this collection available online.