Ruth L. Schwartz

Ruth L. Schwartz (born 1962 Geneva, New York) is an American poet. Her most recent poetry collection is Dear Good Naked Morning (Autumn House Press, 2005).

Schwarts was born in Geneva, New York. She graduated from Wesleyan University, with a B.A., from the University of Michigan, with an M.F.A., and from the University of Integrative Learning with a Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology. She has taught at Cleveland State University, Goddard College, Mills College, California State University-Fresno, California College of the Arts.

The San Francisco Bay Area has been Ruth's chosen home since 1985; she has also traveled extensively in Latin America, and speaks fluent Spanish. She teaches at Ashland University, and offers workshops and one-on-one mentoring on the theme of The Writer As Shaman nationwide. She lives in Oakland, California.

Writing
Prairie Schooner: "Ruth L. Schwartz' third collection, Edgewater, a 2001 National Poetry Series winner, continues Schwartz's impassioned dialogue with the body and embodiments of human fallibility. Edgewater builds from Schwartz's two previous collections, Accordion Breathing and Dancing (a 1994 Associated Writing Program winner) and Singular Bodies'' (the 2000 Anhinga winner for poetry) in its focus on the implicit tenacity of the terms of "true love"; Schwartz's eros of engagement is a fierce wager against the plagues of our times."

Awards

 * NEA Fellowship
 * Ohio Arts Council Fellowship
 * Astraea Foundation Fellowship
 * two Nimrod/Neruda awards
 * 2000 Chelsea Magazine Editor's awards
 * a Reader's Choice award from Prairie Schooner
 * New Letters Literary Award
 * Randall Jarrell Award from the North Carolina Writer's Network
 * Sue Saniel Elkin award from Kalliope Magazine
 * AWP award
 * 2000 Anhinga Prize for Poetry
 * 2001 National Poetry Series, for Edgewater
 * 2005 Autumn House Press Prize for Dear Good Naked Morning