Dr. Alex MacDonald
Associate Professor of English
BA, MA (Sask), PhD (London)
alex.macdonald@uregina.ca
Phone: 306.359.1223 | Fax: 306.359.1200 | Office: CM 410
ON LEAVE (return Fall 2022)
WEBSITES
www.theutopiachronology.org
Short Bio
I was born in Regina and attended Holy Rosary School and Campion High School. After study at the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus, and King’s College at the University of London, England, I worked in Saskatoon as Secretary to the Saskatchewan Universities Commission from 1974-80. I began teaching at Campion College in 1980.
I am married to Catherine Arthur-MacDonald, who is retired as a Speech-Language Pathologist and teacher with the Regina Public Board of Education, and who has taught special education courses for the Faculty of Education. Our two sons, James and Colin, are both graduates of Campion and the University of Regina. We have a grandson named Gavin.
If you are considering one of my classes I would be happy to give you further information by phone, email or in a meeting.
Representative Publications
Publications have included scholarly articles on Aldous Huxley’s Island (Utopian Studies) and a history of Saskatchewan’s Throne Speeches from 1877 -2007 (Saskatchewan History); interest in utopianism and intentional community in Saskatchewan resulted in Practical Utopians, about early co-operative pioneers Ed and Will Paynter, and in Cloud-Capped Towers, a broader survey of the utopian theme in Saskatchewan history and culture (both books published by the Canadian Plains Research Centre); interest in utopianism also led to publication of a scholarly edition of Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward (Broadview Press); a continuing interest in the scholarship of teaching led to a note about a “guest scholars” project (The Teaching Professor); other publications include two self-published books of poetry, Hatman: Poems de Terre, and Squibs.
Recent interests have included play-writing and performance–Chuck was performed at the Regina International Fringe Theatre Festival in 2015, and La Soirée in 2017; recent talks have included “W.C. Handy’s ‘Beale Street Blues’ and the Utopian Imagination” (Society for Utopian Studies, Memphis, 2017); Thomas Mawson and Unbuilt Regina (Archives Week, Regina, 2018); and “Popular Music and the Modernist Dystopia: Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four” (University of Saskatchewan English Department, March 2018).
