Jack J. Locke z”l
(J.J. Lokshtanov)
Jack Locke z”l
(AJNews) – Born in Calgary, Alberta, Jack Locke resided in Westmount, Quebec for the past 15 years with his wife Karen Elaine Spencer. He was known for his humour, passion, gentleness, and compassion, “a true joy from hat to boot.”
Besides being a mayoral candidate, bus driver, baker, handyman, aquarium flusher, and avid protester, Jack (or “J.J. Lokshtanov” as he liked to be called) was a poet, editor, and freelance journalist. In 2011, Jack was Via Rail’s Destination’s Magazine In-House Poet. He read his work in Canada, the U.S., and France.
Jack was a great fan of the poets Leonard Cohen, Irving Layton, and Dylan Thomas. He inspired others to learn about the power and beauty of poetry by inaugurating poetry events, establishing groups such as Montreal’s Foundation For Public Poetry/Fondation Poésie Publique, and publishing poetry books.
In 2009, Jack was the editor-in-chief of Leonard Cohen: You’re Our Man, a collection of 75 poets reflecting on the writing of Leonard Cohen. Other titles he has released include Journeys of a Left Wing Sheep Farmer (MacKillop, 2011), The Life and Rhymes of a Jewish Mother (Golick, 2012), and Let There Be Light Verse (Golick, 2013.)
In loving memory of Jack Locke z”l
Jack was selected as a contributing artist for Art Song 2019. He worked with composer Kelly Krebs to develop his poem, “I Am a Cowboy from Hat to Boot”, presented on July 6, 2019, for a performance with baritone vocalist Steven Bélanger and pianist Corey Hamm.
Jack discovered his poetic form, Villanelle, while living in France in 2005. Like Jack, this 19-line poetic form frequently treats the subject of obsessions and often appeals to outsiders. Its defining feature is an unconventional tone.
Jack had a passionate social conscience. Protesting public institutions’ infliction of harm on the community became a thread in his life, both in the West and Quebec. He ran for Mayor of Calgary repeatedly on one issue: the removal of fluoride from the water system. His most recent battle was against Quebec’s Bill 21 (“secularism law”), which he felt trampled on the rights of all Canadians.
Jack passed away on February 17, 2020.
THAT in 199I am so sorry to hear of Jack Lockes death I met him firdt in 1997 when I was the National leader or the Green Party he had been courageously he from the green party had been urageouslystanding in front of the shell building for almost a month. I joined him with my camera and along with a reporter from the Calgary Herald we walked up to the president’s office and gave him a letter calling for closing the tar sands and addressing Shell’s slaughter of the Ogoni peoples in Nigeria
, we were interviewed by the Calgary Herald/ While we said we were from the Green Party The reporter wrote that we were from Greenpeace. His courage taking on Shell in Alberta was one of the highlights of my 1997 election Campaign
revised I am so sorry to hear of Jack Lockes death I met him first in 1997 when I was the National leader or the Green Party of Canada He had been courageously standing alone in front of the shell building for almost a month. I joined him with my camera and along with a reporter from the Calgary Herald we walked up to the president’s office and gave him a letter calling for closing the tar sands and addressing Shell’s slaughter of the Ogoni peoples in Nigeria
, we were interviewed by the Calgary Herald/ While we said we were from the Green Party The reporter wrote that we were from Greenpeace. His courage taking on Shell in Alberta was one of the highlights of my 1997 election Campaign