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Neil Aitken

Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

  • MLIS Library & Information Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 2025
    • Tech skills: Python, HTML5, CSS 3.0, Javascript, MySQL, Figma, Miro, SlideDoc design, database design, website design
  • PhD. Literature & Creative Writing, University of Southern California, 2015
    • Critical Dissertation: Nineteenth-Century Artificial Intelligences: Thinking Machines, Mechanical Minds, & The Victorian Detective
    • Creative Dissertation: Babbage's Dream (poetry)
  • MFA Creative Writing, University of California, Riverside, 2006
    • Thesis: The Lost Country of Sight (poetry)
  • BS Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, 1999
    • Research Interests: Application Development, Algorithm Optimization, Artificial Intelligence
    • Tech skills: C, C++, Java, Pascal, Javascript, LISP(Scheme), Assembly

EMPLOYMENT

Library Service & Development Work

  • Data Librarian @ Map and Data Library, University of Toronto (Feb 2026 - Present)
    • Duties: Support faculty and student researchers through consultations, tutorials, problem-solving, and reference work
    • Areas: Text and data mining (TDM), data cleaning, OCR/text-extraction, Python, Github
  • Digital Projects Specialist @ Digital Scholarship in the Arts, University of British Columbia (Mar 2024 - Dec 2025)
    • Development: Python, Javascript, HTML, CSS, Markdown, Github
    • Tools: Leaflet, Document Intelligence (AI Transcription)
    • Platforms: WordPress, Omeka, Scalar, Jekyll
    • Project Experience: data cleaning; text AI-aided transcription for large text corpus; batch file conversion; automation; GUI development; sentiment analysis; website prototyping; troubleshooting WP updates, installs, and plugins
  • Collection Development Researcher (Professional Experience) @ UBC Library (_Sep 2024 - Apr 2025)
    • Informal interviews with faculty and student researchers interested in the teaching, study, and creation of speculative fiction
    • Developing online resources and indices to aid faculty in making informed decisions about current holdings of relevant materials
  • Writer-in-Residence @ Regina Public Library (Sep 2021 - May 2022)
    • Programs Developed: Authors in Conversation Series; Generative Creative Writing Workshops; Introduction to Dungeons & Dragons Workshops
    • Mentorship: One-on-one writing consultations (in-person and via Zoom)
  • Programmer @ Knowledge Adventure/Vivendi Universal Games (Jan 2000 - Aug 2004)
    • Development: C++, Director Lingo, in-house game engines & scripting languages
    • Projects: 7 completed kids' entertainment/edutainment titles (lead programmer on 5), created external scripting language and collaborated on creating a level editor
  • Programmer II @InsurQuote Systems (1998 - 1999)
    • Development: Pascal, in-house engine, module writing
    • Projects: auto insurance underwriting modules for different insurance companies in various states

Teaching & Mentoring

  • Doctoral Writing Consultant @ Centre for Writing & Scholarly Communication, UBC (Aug 2023 - Mar 2024)
  • Writer-in-Residence @ Regina Public Library (Sep 2021 - May 2022)
  • Virtual Writer-in-Residence @ Saskatchewan Writers' Guild (Sep 2020 - Dec 2020)
  • Writing Coach & Manuscript Consultant (Jun 2019 - Present)
  • Teaching Assistant (General Education/Humanities) @ University of Southern California (Sep 2012 - Apr2015)
  • Assistant Lecturer (Critical Reasoning & Writing) @ University of Southern California (Sep 2008 - Aug 2012)
  • Teaching Assistant/Instructor (Creative Writing) @ University of California, Riverside (Sep 2005 - Jun 2006)

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

  • Spatial Analysis for Digital Humanities, DHSI 2025, University of Montreal (21.5 hrs)
  • Engaging Play, DHSI 2024, University of Victoria (21.5 hrs)
  • DH for Librarians, DHSI 2024, University of Victoria (21.5 hrs)
  • Preserving Your Digital Scholarship Projects, Sherman Centre, McMaster University (1.5 hrs)
  • Introduction to Machine Learning: Neural Networks, University of British Columbia (2 hrs)

DIGITAL PROJECTS

Podcasts & Video Series

  • The Hermit Poetry Series (2020-2023)
    • a YouTube series where I read a poem from a contemporary poet or a poet from the past
    • created using OBS Studio and OpenShot
    • 398 episodes
  • The Lit Fantastic (2016-2018)
    • a two-season author interview podcast series where I interviewed authors about their favorite or strangest obsessions
    • also broadcast on KBOO 90.7 Portland, Oregon
    • recorded at KBOO Community Radio and edited with Audacity
    • 20 episodes

Digital Research Tools

  • pyDatasetGen (2024)
    • free and open-source library for producing customizable randomly generated datasets to be used in testing and development
    • configurable through external files
    • can generate numbers, alphanumeric patterns, view counts, names, dates, addresses, phone numbers, emails, urls, book titles, isbns, issns, book call numbers (both Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal)
    • written in Python

Interactive Fiction Games

  • A Little Assistance (group project / Cardigan Mouse Games). 2025
    • choice-based game and instructional tool around ethical and responsible AI use
    • the player is a new university student navigating various scenarios related to AI use in an academic setting
    • written in Twine 2.10.0/Harlowe
  • The Lost Temple of Pythongoras (group project). 2024
    • parser-driven text adventure game in the style of Zork.
    • developed a custom game engine, object-oriented architecture, external scripting language, graphical interface, and command buffer handling.
    • led a project team of 2 other classmates as part of Intro to Python class
    • written in Python
  • The Last Librarian (in development)
    • choice-based adventure set in a dystopian Northwest Territories in the 1980s
    • you play as the last librarian in a community and must take the bookmobile out to the northernmost settlements
    • written in Twine 2.81/Harlowe
  • Into the Dark Woods (in development)
    • choice-based fantasy adventure game drawing on multiple literary sources exploring roads taken and not taken
    • you wake in a forest clearing at dusk and must find shelter and fire to survive the night
    • written in Twine 2.81/Harlowe and Javascript
    • 737+ passages
  • The Cave (2020)
    • choice-based fantasy adventure game/character generator with procedurally generated narrative elements
    • you find yourself in a cave system without a light source and must find your way out
    • written in Twine 2.0/Harlowe and Javascript
    • 2020 Interactive Fiction Competition Entry
    • 139 passages

Websites & Resources

  • Boxcar Poetry Review (2006-2021)
    • an online literary journal featuring poetry, reviews of first books of poetry, and interviews with first-book poets
    • created as a static site using HTML, CSS, and Javascript
    • 41 issues
  • De-Canon (2017-Present)
    • a literary social practice art project that centers the works and voices of writers of color
    • in addition to co-directing the project, I also wrote numerous research articles for the blog
    • site designed and hosted at Squarespace
  • Have Book, Will Travel (2015-Present)
    • a Wordpress site featuring a searchable database of authors willing to travel, reading series currently seeking guest writers, and venues available for booking events
    • 400+ author, venue, and reading series profiles

PUBLICATIONS

Opera_Libretto

  • Star Singer. Composer: Juhi Bansal. Produced by Beth Morrison Productions. Debuts late 2027 (Los Angeles).
  • Edge of a Dream. Composer: Juhi Bansal. Performed by Los Angeles Opera. 2020

Books

Chapbooks

  • Leviathan. Hyacinth Girl Press, 2016. (poetry).

Articles

Poetry & Translation (individual pieces)

COLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Editorship

  • Guest Editor. Write Magazine (Writers' Union of Canada). Summer 2021 Issue.
  • Editor-in-Chief. Boxcar Poetry Review. 2006-2021.
  • Contributing Editor (Chinese-English Translation). Poetry East West. 2010-2019.
  • Co-Editor-in-Chief. CRATE: A Journal of Borders & Boundaries (UC Riverside). 2005-2006.

Professional Committees & Involvement

  • Digital Strategy Working Group. University of British Columbia. 2024.
  • Chair, Nominating Committee. Writers' Union of Canada. 2021-2023.
  • Regional Representative (Saskatchewan). The League of Canadian Poets. 2021-2023.
  • Regional Chair (International). Kundiman. 2021-Present.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

  • ACH (Association for Computers and the Humanities)
  • ALA (American Library Association)
  • APALA (Asian Pacific American Librarian Association)
  • ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Artists, and Publishers)
  • AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs)
  • BCLA (British Columbia Library Association)
  • LCP (League of Canadian Poets)
  • SWG (Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild)
  • TWUC (The Writers’ Union of Canada)

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