David Staines

Who is David Staines?

David McKenzie Staines, CM OOnt is a Canadian literary critic, university professor, writer, and editor.

Staines was born in Toronto, Ontario, and studied at the University of Toronto, where he obtained a BA in 1967, and at Harvard University, where he obtained an MA in 1968 and a PhD in 1973.

After a career that saw him teach at Harvard, the University of Prince Edward Island, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and UMass Amherst, Staines is now a professor of English at the University of Ottawa. Staines specializes in three particular areas: medieval, Victorian and Canadian literatures, with particular interest in the relationship between literature and its social context.

In his studies of medieval literature Staines has examined the evolution of romance traditions, which resulted in a landmark new translation of the classic tales of Chrétien de Troyes: The Complete Romances of Chrétien de Troyes. He is also an authority on Arthurian legends.

He is particularly active in the field of Canadian studies, for example, as editor of the scholarly Journal of Canadian Poetry since 1986 and general editor of McClelland and Stewart's New Canadian Library series since 1988. He has published a number of major essay collections, including The Canadian Imagination, a book that introduced Canadian literature and literary criticism to an American audience, as well as studies on Morley Callaghan and Stephen Leacock.