Poet, novelist and playwright Priscila Uppal, who "received the colorful moniker of 'Canada's coolest poet' by Time Out London magazine when she was appointed poet-in-residence for Canadian Athletes Now at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London," died September 5, the Star reported. She was 43. The position "reflected the sense of fun and generosity--and incredible work ethic--with which she approached her career."
"In all the years I've known her, Priscila Uppal approached every project with enthusiasm and every person with generosity," said the poet, editor and teacher Paul Vermeersch. "She seemed utterly immune to cynicism, which is so rare, and I think that's what made her such a great teacher and friend and mentor to so many."
Uppal was the author of 10 books of poetry, two novels and a short story collection. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize in 2007 for her collection Ontological Necessities. Her works include Sabotage; To Whom It May Concern; The Divine Economy of Salvation; How to Draw Blood from a Stone; Live Coverage; Pretending to Die; and Projection: Encounters with My Runaway Mother.
On Facebook, poet Molly Peacock posted: "How terrible it was to hear the news that Priscila Uppal passed away this morning. She was an icon of literary energy--poetry, memoir, plays--who seemed to know that she had to pack 80 years of living into 45. One of the most beloved editors of The Best Canadian Poetry, and a valiant life force for many. I am still feeling that strange vibration of energy-shock that seems to surround a person who has just departed the world."