JOHN THOMPSON (1938–76) was one of the most acclaimed Canadian poets of the twentieth century. Born and raised in England, he received a Ph.D. in comparative literature at Michigan State University before moving to Canada to teach at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. His first collection, At the Edge of the Chopping There Are No Secrets, was published in 1973, and his second, Stilt Jack, appeared posthumously in 1978.