Stubblejumper Press

Stubblejumper Press was a Canadian book-publishing company founded by writer Douglas Wilson in 1977. Operating during a period when LGBT writing had limited representation in the mainstream Canadian publishing industry, the press focused on bringing poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and practical books for gay readers into print. Its early base was in Saskatchewan, reflecting the press's prairie origins and Wilson's connection to the region. The company's first publications included Wilson's poetry collection The Myth of the Boy, issued in 1977, and Jordan Rand's The Year of the Horse, published in 1978. These books established Stubblejumper as a small literary press with a clear commitment to gay and LGBT authorship rather than a general-interest publishing list. The original incarnation of the company ended by 1980. Wilson later moved to Toronto and relaunched Stubblejumper Press in 1985. The Toronto-era list broadened the press's visibility within Canada's LGBT literary and cultural communities. It included novels by Wilson's partner, Peter McGehee, poetry and nonfiction by Ian Young, and the annual Gay Canada travel-guide series. The relaunch therefore combined literary publishing with service-oriented reference material for gay readers and travelers. Stubblejumper Press ceased operations sometime before Wilson died of AIDS in 1992. Although its commercial life was relatively short, the press is associated with the development and circulation of Canadian LGBT literature during the 1970s and 1980s. Its history also forms part of the broader story of small queer presses that created publishing opportunities outside conventional commercial channels. The name later appeared in the title of Stubblejumper, a 2008 docudrama about Wilson directed by David Geiss; that film was a separate cultural work rather than a continuation of the publishing company.

Stubblejumper Press emerged in 1977 as a small Canadian publishing venture founded by Douglas Wilson. The press was originally based in Saskatchewan and was devoted to LGBT literature, an area that had comparatively limited access to mainstream publishing outlets at the time. Its founding placed the company within the wider growth of gay liberation-era cultural institutions, in which independent presses, bookstores, journals, and community organizations helped authors reach readers outside established commercial channels. The company's earliest known books demonstrate its literary focus. In 1977 it published Wilson's own poetry collection, The Myth of the Boy. The following year it issued Jordan Rand's The Year of the Horse. These publications gave the press an initial identity as a vehicle for gay writing and poetry rather than as a broad-based Canadian publisher. The first version of the company folded by 1980. Wilson subsequently moved to Toronto, one of Canada's most important centers for LGBT cultural and literary activity, and relaunched Stubblejumper Press in 1985. The second phase expanded the range of material associated with the imprint. It published novels by Peter McGehee, Wilson's partner, as well as poetry and nonfiction by Ian Young. Stubblejumper also produced the annual Gay Canada series of travel guides, which connected the press's literary program to practical information for gay travelers and communities. This combination of creative writing, cultural nonfiction, and travel reference reflected the diverse information needs of LGBT readers during the period. The Toronto incarnation operated during the 1980s, when LGBT publishers played an important role in preserving and circulating queer voices amid the AIDS crisis, censorship pressures, and uneven representation in the wider book trade. The available account does not provide detailed sales, distribution, staffing, or financial information, but the press's surviving publication history indicates a focused independent model built around a relatively specialized readership. Stubblejumper Press ceased operations sometime before Wilson died of AIDS in 1992. No later corporate successor or continuing publishing program is identified in the available reference material. The imprint is nevertheless remembered as part of the history of Canadian LGBT publishing, particularly for its support of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and community-oriented reference works. In 2008, director David Geiss made a docudrama titled Stubblejumper about Wilson. The film revived public attention to Wilson's life and work, but it was not a relaunch of the publishing company.

• 2008

  Stubblejumper docudrama released

  [1]Stubblejumper Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Director David Geiss made a docudrama about Douglas Wilson titled Stubblejumper; the film was not a continuation of the press.

• 1985

  Press relaunched in Toronto

  [1]Stubblejumper Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Wilson revived Stubblejumper Press after relocating to Toronto.

• 1980

  Original incarnation folds

  [1]Stubblejumper Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The company's original Saskatchewan-based incarnation ended by this time.

• 1978

  The Year of the Horse published

  [1]Stubblejumper Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Stubblejumper published Jordan Rand's The Year of the Horse.

• 1977

  Press founded in Saskatchewan

  [1]Stubblejumper Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Douglas Wilson founded Stubblejumper Press as a Canadian publisher focused on LGBT literature.

• 1977

  The Myth of the Boy published

  [1]Stubblejumper Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The press issued Wilson's poetry collection The Myth of the Boy as one of its first books.

A Canadian independent press centered on LGBT literature and gay-oriented cultural and travel publishing.

• Poetry · 1977

  The Myth of the Boy

  A poetry collection by founder Douglas Wilson and one of the earliest books issued by Stubblejumper Press. Its publication established the imprint's interest in gay literary expression.

• Fiction · 1978

  The Year of the Horse

  A novel by Jordan Rand published during the press's initial Saskatchewan period. It formed part of the early LGBT-focused literary list that defined Stubblejumper's identity.

• Travel guides

  Gay Canada

  An annual series of gay travel guides published during the Toronto era. The series extended Stubblejumper's work beyond literature by providing practical, community-oriented information for LGBT travelers.

• Novels

  Works by Peter McGehee

  A group of novels by Peter McGehee, who was Wilson's partner, published after the press was relaunched in Toronto. These books were among the notable fiction associated with the second phase of Stubblejumper.

• Poetry and nonfiction

  Works by Ian Young

  Poetry and nonfiction by Ian Young formed part of the Toronto-era catalog and reflected the press's continuing support for LGBT literary and cultural writing.

• 1985

  Relaunch and relocation to TorontoStrategy

  Background

  The original Saskatchewan-based incarnation had ended by 1980. After moving to Toronto, Douglas Wilson revived the Stubblejumper imprint.

  Action taken

  The press resumed publishing and developed a broader Toronto-era list that included novels, poetry, nonfiction, and annual gay travel guides.

  Aftermath

  The relaunch produced the company's most notable later publications, but operations ended sometime before Wilson's death in 1992.

  Source

1. 1Stubblejumper Pressen.wikipedia.org