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- calendar_today November 7, 2026
Danielle Hubbard Confronts Personal Pain in Debut Poetry Collection
Danielle Hubbard, the CEO of the Okanagan Regional Library (ORL), unveils her deeply personal journey through heartbreak, loss, and self-reflection in her debut poetry book, The Electrocutionist. The collection delves into themes of infidelity, grief, and guilt, depicting an emotionally charged chapter of her life.
The Road to The Electrocutionist
Hubbard, who oversees 30 library branches and hundreds of employees, recounts that the inspiration behind her poetry stemmed from a period marked by her mother battling cancer and the aftermath of an extramarital affair. While not a direct autobiography, the poems are based on real events, beginning in rural Manitoba and then shifting to the West Coast, Hubbard's home region, as her family faced her mother’s declining health.
Balancing Public and Private Selves
Publishing such intimate work while holding a high-profile public role brought its own challenges. Hubbard explains that, as the head of a large library organization, she was keenly aware of the potential professional repercussions of sharing vulnerable details. Her counselor even warned that revisiting these events could be painful and invite judgment. Despite those warnings, Hubbard ultimately decided it was her story to share, aiming for authenticity and connection with readers.
Embracing Accessibility in Poetry
Hubbard’s approach to poetry was shaped by her own frustration with poems that felt inaccessible. Starting out as a fiction writer, she made it a priority to ensure that her poems spoke directly to readers. "I don't really like it when I pick up a poem and I have to read it five times and then I can form some sort of speculative idea of what it might be about," Hubbard shared. Her goal was to create relatable and clear poetry, making complex and painful experiences easier for readers to engage with.
Processing Grief and Self-Blame
Reflecting on the writing process, Hubbard describes her debut collection as a "smouldering heap of pain." She recalls a particularly difficult time when she would write in the mornings and spend the afternoons in tears. The poems carry a strong thread of electrical imagery—a reference both to execution and to the electrifying nature of intense emotional pain. The title, The Electrocutionist, serves as a metaphor for the narrator, and perhaps the author herself, who inflicts pain not only on others but also on herself through guilt and self-blame.
Legacy and Tribute
Hubbard wrote much of the collection during the summer her mother was dying. She challenged herself to write a poem each day, drawing strength and focus from writing even as she helped care for her mother. While her mother did not read any of the poems before her passing, Hubbard reflects on her mother's literary influence and wonders how she might have reacted to being portrayed as a central figure in such a personal work.
Resonating with Readers
Now, several years after the events that inspired the collection, Hubbard says she is in a much more stable place and finds release in sharing her story. Through The Electrocutionist, she hopes readers looking for poetry about real, raw experiences can find comfort and understanding in her words.
Source: cbc.ca.
