Paul Watkins’ new book Soundin’ Canaan explores Black Canadian voices

The book merges poetry, music and history to examine “sonic citizenship.”

Dr. Paul db Watkins’ new book Soundin’ Canaan: Black Canadian Poetry, Music, and Citizenship examines the contributions of key Black Canadian poets.

“Soundin’ Canaan explores the rich tapestry of Black Canadian poets, interweaving a narrative of literary, cultural and musical histories,” says Watkins.

His book includes an accompanying soundtrack, which Watkins says invites the readers to “immerse themselves in the interplay between text and sound.” He invites anyone intrigued to learn more to come to the book launch event on February 6 at the Vault Café. This launch will feature poet and musician Sonnet L’Abbé (Sonnet’s Shakespeare) and Nanaimo Poet Laureate Neil Surkan (Unbecoming). Watkins will perform remixed versions of sections from the book. 

If you can’t make the February 6 event, a second launch will happen in Victoria on March 13 at Paul Phillips Hall (1928 Fernwood Road). This event features poet Wayde Compton (Performance Bond, The Outer Harbour, Toward an Anti-Racist Poetics). Doors open at 6:30 pm, with an open mic at 7 pm. Featured readings and an interview will follow at 7:30 pm. Additionally, Watkins will give the final Arts and Humanities Colloquium talk on March 7.

Watkins, a Vancouver Island University English Professor, has published numerous works on multiculturalism, hip-hop, Canadian poetry, jazz, DJ culture and improvisation. We caught up with him to discuss his new book and the inspiration that shaped it.

What is Soundin’ Canaan about and why did you write about this topic? 

The book focuses on the works of George Elliott Clarke, Dionne Brand, M. NourbeSe Philip, Wayde Compton and the rapper K’naan, analyzing their poetic styles and performances. A central question the book poses is: What does Canadian citizenship sound like, particularly when voiced by Black Canadian poets who embrace a “sonic citizenship” that shifts between local and global spaces? In an era marked by rising xenophobia, the concept of a more inclusive citizenship feels especially relevant. Citizenship, as explored in this book, is not just a passport or legal status – it is sounded; it resonates. Similarly, multiculturalism is idealistically more than just a policy. Through their poetry and music, the artists in the book model this broader, richer conception of citizenship.

Unfortunately, many students in Canada can complete an entire Bachelor of Arts without encountering a Black Canadian text or learning much about Black history or creativity in this country. During my own undergraduate studies, I discovered poets like George Elliott Clarke and Dionne Brand almost by chance and was struck by the beauty, rhetorical power and musicality of their work. My love for this poetry, coupled with a deep appreciation for its connection to music – two creative forms that, for me, are inherently linked – motivated me to delve deeper. This passion became the foundation of my doctoral research at the University of Guelph while living in downtown Toronto. A significant motivation for moving to Toronto was the chance to engage directly with these poets, whose voices form a vital part of the larger “DJ mix” in the book. 

The book is intended to be consumed in a multimedia fashion: reading, listening to the poems, and you also bring in an accompanying soundtrack. Can you share a bit more about this “sonic citizenship?” 

One of the distinctive aspects of my book is its DJ-inspired methodology. I mix close readings of poetry, music, cultural and literary history, and interviews with the poets whose work I analyze. Music is deeply woven into the book, and even in the short Prelude, I reference Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam,” and Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom.” To enrich the experience, the book includes an accompanying soundtrack, inviting readers to immerse themselves in the interplay between text and sound. Currently, I am on sabbatical and developing a complementary digital platform: Soundin’ Canaan Remixed: A Sonic Compendium. This website will host a comprehensive archive of materials from the book, including recorded interviews, DJ mixes, short audio essays on music, and curated playlists of tracks referenced in the text. It will also offer supplementary resources and external links for further exploration. Excitingly, I’m planning a section where users can remix the music and poetry themselves, fostering an interactive and participatory engagement with the themes of the book. This multimedia approach deepens the connections between Black Canadian poetry, music, multiculturalism, social inclusion, and the concept of “sonic citizenship.”

The term "sonic citizenship" comes from Vincent Andrisani, who explores the role of sound in Havana. He highlights the enduring presence of ice cream vendors whose sounds connect the city’s spaces despite shifting historical and political contexts. Similarly, I argue that listening to the poets in Soundin’ Canaan – closely attending to their poems, the sounds and the musical samples they incorporate – also constitutes an act of “sonic citizenship.” This immersive practice of reading, listening and sounding engages with how citizens navigate and inhabit life in Canada. It underscores the ways in which cultural identity and inclusion are negotiated beyond the formal legal structures of the nation-state.

Can you share a story or experience from this project that significantly shaped your perspective or approach?

Interviewing poets and engaging deeply with Black creativity has profoundly shaped my thinking and my way of being in the world. For instance, over the years, I’ve interviewed Canada’s former Parliamentary Poet George Elliott Clarke several times. Beyond those interviews, I’ve had the privilege of organizing multiple events with him, and he graciously provided an exceptional blurb for this work. Poet Wayde Compton will also be featured at the Victoria launch, which feels like a fitting celebration of this project. Through all of this, I have been committed to listening intently to really hear, feel and love the music and the words, and to put these messages into action.

Poetry and music are some of our oldest art forms and they feel increasingly urgent in articulating and sounding out the problems we face today. What has stood out to me most in this journey is the power of multiplicity – the sheer diversity of stories I’ve encountered has challenged the dangers of the single narrative. That multiplicity, as well as the rhetorical power and beauty of the works, is what I hope resonates with readers. While Soundin’ Canaan is, ultimately, just a book, I hope it sparks meaningful conversations and fosters interventions around the transformative potential of poetry and music, particularly in how we understand and enact ideas of citizenship. More directly, because poetry is at the heart of this work, I hope the book provides valuable insights into the writings of influential Black Canadian and Afro-diasporic poets. The whole world, after all, continues to benefit from the enduring power of Black voice and song.