Richard Truhlar

Biography



Born on February 14, 1950 in Toronto, Canada, Richard Truhlar is a poet, fictioneer, visual artist, text/sound/musical composer and performer. He began writing poetry and prose at the age of 10, and had his first published work in 1971. In 1975 he co-founded Phenomenon Press with fellow writer John Riddell, and together they edited and published the avant-garde periodical Kontakte.

In the same year, Truhlar established the Kontakte Writers in Performance Series which featured readings and performances by most of Canada's foremost experimental writers. The Series ran for a total of 10 years and featured over 100 artists including such respected writers as Sheila Watson, bpNichol, Michael Ondaatje and Nicole Brossard.

A great believer in collaboration, Truhlar was an active member of the sound poetry group Owen Sound. Over a ten year period, this poetry performance ensemble gave 80 readings across Canada, in the USA and Europe. After the demise of Owen Sound, he joined with musician Glenn Frew to form the new wave rock band Warm Jets. Truhlar was also the founding force behind the electroacoustic chamber music ensemble Tekst. Founded in 1980, Tekst explored the interface between writing and music in original ways, gave a number of major performances, and published four album-length audiocassettes of their works. Truhlar also collaborated with such artists as Steve McCaffery, Susan Frykberg, bpNichol, Steven R. Smith and Phenomenonsemble.

He was a founding editor/publisher of Underwhich Editions where, along with a number of other writers, he published books, chapbooks, broadsides, microfiche, leaflets and progressive audio recordings of sound poetry and electroacoustic music.

In the field of broadcasting, Truhlar distinguished himself through the production of literary programs. He produced two series for radio station CJRT-FM: The Art of Sound Poetry and Canadian Poetry in the 1980s, where such guests as The Four Horsemen, Victor Coleman and Christopher Dewdney were interviewed and read from their works. He also worked as a volunteer staff member at radio station CKLN-FM, where he produced and hosted the live broadcast of In Other Words, a programme devoted to contemporary writing; and hosted the first live interview with composer Philip Glass for the CBC's "Two New Hours".

In the field of electroacoustic composition, Truhlar has had five album-length audiocassettes of his works released, and has had numerous broadcasts of his work throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.

Since 1987, he has worked as the producer/manager of the Centrediscs recording label of the Canadian Music Centre,.