Jennifer Zilm
Jennifer Zilm is a librarian and a poet. She is the author of two books—Waiting Room (Book*hug, 2016), which was shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovated Poetry, and The Missing Field (Guernica, 2018)—and research published in Prayer and Poetry in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Brill, 2011). She has also been published over 50 times in literary journals and anthologies and was the recipient of a Canada Council Grant for a five-week residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts.
Why did you choose your program at UBC and what did you enjoy most about it?
I chose to study ancient religions (BA, MA) because of my fascination with the ancient world, with the Bible and how it still impacts how we speak and think. During my MA, I had the chance to study topics as diverse as “Early Jewish Mysticism” and “Modern Israeli Literature” with the brilliant Daphna Arbel, “The Social Setting of the New Testament” with the gracious late master Dietmar Neufeld and “Advanced Biblical Hebrew” with the sublime Hebrew professor Paul Mosca.
My studies in religion infused with my creative practice and I am the author of two books of poetry which reflect the issues, themes and languages I studied at UBC.
My later degrees at Library, Archival and Information Studies also influence my work and have led me to a satisfying career in public libraries.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences at UBC?
- The undergraduate course “The Origins of Christianity” with Dietmar Neufeld.
- Taking the B-Line listening to Leonard Cohen.
- Being an English TA for the department of English.
- The graduate Religious Studies seminar “Purity and Holiness” with Robert Cousland.
- The poetry workshop with Shannon Stewart.
- The co-op placement in University of Victoria Libraries where I archived articles and blogged about hegemonies in scholarly publishing (and read Proust’s In Search of Lost Time on the ferry).
- Professional experience arranging and describing archival materials for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.
What choices did you make at UBC that contributed to your career success / journey?
- Choosing to study what I was interested in.
- Pursuing an academic master degree refined my critical thinking and writing skills.
- Learning ancient languages allowed me to think about my own language in new ways.
- Library school taught me how to work in teams.
What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before your current position?
After my BA I worked as an EFL teacher in China.
After my MA, I was a TA and a SSHRC supported doctoral researcher at McMaster University in Early Judaism & Christianity where I focused my dissertation on gender and prayer in the Dead Sea Scrolls. I presented this research in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. I had the opportunity to study Hebrew in Israel/Palestine. I didn’t finish this degree but was able to publish some of my research.
After graduating from UBC iSchool with my MLIS, I began immediately to work at Surrey Libraries, a particularly rewarding experience as it was my childhood experience in the Surrey Libraries that led me to my love of books and poetry.
Is your current career path as you originally intended? What challenges did you face in launching your career?
It is all as it was meant to be.
What do you like about your current job and what do you find challenging? How does it relate to your degree?
I get to work with books, information and people as both a poet and a librarian.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
Read constantly. Make notebooks. Ride the bus.
Jennifer Zilm
Jennifer Zilm is a librarian and a poet. She is the author of two books—Waiting Room (Book*hug, 2016), which was shortlisted for the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovated Poetry, and The Missing Field (Guernica, 2018)—and research published in Prayer and Poetry in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Brill, 2011). She has also been published over 50 times in literary journals and anthologies and was the recipient of a Canada Council Grant for a five-week residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts.
Why did you choose your program at UBC and what did you enjoy most about it?
I chose to study ancient religions (BA, MA) because of my fascination with the ancient world, with the Bible and how it still impacts how we speak and think. During my MA, I had the chance to study topics as diverse as “Early Jewish Mysticism” and “Modern Israeli Literature” with the brilliant Daphna Arbel, “The Social Setting of the New Testament” with the gracious late master Dietmar Neufeld and “Advanced Biblical Hebrew” with the sublime Hebrew professor Paul Mosca.
My studies in religion infused with my creative practice and I am the author of two books of poetry which reflect the issues, themes and languages I studied at UBC.
My later degrees at Library, Archival and Information Studies also influence my work and have led me to a satisfying career in public libraries.
What were some of your most meaningful experiences at UBC?
- The undergraduate course “The Origins of Christianity” with Dietmar Neufeld.
- Taking the B-Line listening to Leonard Cohen.
- Being an English TA for the department of English.
- The graduate Religious Studies seminar “Purity and Holiness” with Robert Cousland.
- The poetry workshop with Shannon Stewart.
- The co-op placement in University of Victoria Libraries where I archived articles and blogged about hegemonies in scholarly publishing (and read Proust’s In Search of Lost Time on the ferry).
- Professional experience arranging and describing archival materials for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.
What choices did you make at UBC that contributed to your career success / journey?
- Choosing to study what I was interested in.
- Pursuing an academic master degree refined my critical thinking and writing skills.
- Learning ancient languages allowed me to think about my own language in new ways.
- Library school taught me how to work in teams.
What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before your current position?
After my BA I worked as an EFL teacher in China.
After my MA, I was a TA and a SSHRC supported doctoral researcher at McMaster University in Early Judaism & Christianity where I focused my dissertation on gender and prayer in the Dead Sea Scrolls. I presented this research in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. I had the opportunity to study Hebrew in Israel/Palestine. I didn’t finish this degree but was able to publish some of my research.
After graduating from UBC iSchool with my MLIS, I began immediately to work at Surrey Libraries, a particularly rewarding experience as it was my childhood experience in the Surrey Libraries that led me to my love of books and poetry.
Is your current career path as you originally intended? What challenges did you face in launching your career?
It is all as it was meant to be.
What do you like about your current job and what do you find challenging? How does it relate to your degree?
I get to work with books, information and people as both a poet and a librarian.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
Read constantly. Make notebooks. Ride the bus.
