Abstract：The Canadian writer Elizabeth Smart’s avant-garde novel By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept has long failed to garner due attention from literary critics. One of the major rea¬sons is that the autobiographical aspects of the novel overshadow its avant-garde nature and pro¬found themes. In fact, placed in the context of Canadian literature at its time, the novel is out¬standing for its embracement of European and American avant-garde movements, exploration of the style of poetic fiction, and catharsis of female’s inner feelings. The novel boasts experimen¬tal, pioneering, futuristic and revolutionary features in form and content. It is a forerunner for the many more avant-garde novels to appear in Canada in the 1960s and 1970s, making an influen¬tial contribution to Canadian literature in its prosperous era.
Key words: Canada; Elizabeth Smart; By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept; avantgardeness; poetic fiction
