In the April 2003 edition of PLAYBOY, Susan Musgrave is referred to as “one of the most beautiful and interesting women on the planet.”
Susan comments: “Before you jump to conclusions about PLAYBOY having matured in their depiction of ideal beauty, the article in which this quotation appeared, “The Last Heist”, was written by my husband, Stephen Reid, who was serving an eighteen year sentence for his last bank heist. He didn’t meet many women of any description where he was locked up, on the Devil’s Island of the Canadian penitentiary system, William Head Institution.
She has published over thirty books: she is a poet, novelist, children’s writer, essayist, columnist and cookbook writer. She has been described as everything from a standup comedian to an eco-feminist. She lives on Haida Gwaii, off Canada’s northwest coast.
She has been nominated, and has received awards, in six different categories of writing: poetry, fiction, non-fiction, personal essay, children’s writing and for her work as an editor. In 2023 she became the 30th recipient of the George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award” and was longlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize.
She wrote the lyrics to a song, “Missing,” dedicated to sixty-two of the missing women on Vancouver’s downtown eastside, which has recently been released on a CD. Proceeds from sales go to Haven Society, who provide a transition house for women and children who have suffered abuse, as well as a Victim Services/Women’s Assault Programme on Vancouver Island.
Musgrave wins Spirit Bear Award, 2012: The tribute recognizes the significance of a vital and enduring contribution to the poetry of the Pacific Northwest, and is presented every two years. The award was founded in 2010 by B.C. authors Patrick Lane and Lorna Crozier.
Lane calls Musgrave one of Canada’s most remarkable and enduring writers. “Her presence as a writer and teacher has changed this land of ours. Her books have named and placed us spiritually,” Lane said in a news release.
“Her artistic presence over the past 40 years has helped create who we are. She is as important to us as Emily Carr. Her continuing legacy will long endure.”