Biography
Di Brandt was born Diana Ruth Janzen in Winkler, Manitoba. She was raised in Reinland, a conservative, separatist Mennonite village in Southern Manitoba. Di is a twin, she and her fraternal twin sister are the middle children, born between an older brother and a younger sister. Di left home at the age of 17 and moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to attend college. While there she met and married Manitoba-born artist Les Brandt, with whom she had two daughters. She received a BA from the University of Manitoba, and went on to a Masters of Arts at the University of Toronto and a PhD in English literature at the University of Manitoba. She taught English and creative writing at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario for 7 years. She then went on to teach at Brandon University where she currently holds the position of Canada Research Chair.
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