
Marilyn Nelson in 2014. Photo by Slowking. Licensed under Creative Commons, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
Marilyn Nelson (born April 26, 1946)[1] is an African-American poet, translator and children's book author. She is the author or translator of 12 books and 3 chapbooks.
Life[]
Nelson was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Johnnie (Mitchell), a teacher, and Melvin M. Nelson, a U.S. serviceman in the Air Force. She was brought up living on military bases, and began writing while in elementary school.[1]
She earned a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1970, and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1979.[1]
Career[]
Nelson is a professor emeritus of English at the University of Connecticut. She is the founder and director of Soul Mountain Retreat, a writers' colony she founded in 2004 to "“encourage and support emerging and established poets—especially those belonging to traditionally underrepresented racial or cultural groups.”[2]
Recognition[]
Her poetry collection The Homeplace (1990) won the 1992 Anisfield-Wolf Award, and was a finalist for the 1991 National Book Award. The Fields Of Praise: New And selected poems (Louisiana State University Press), won the 1998 Poets' Prize, and was a finalist for the 1997 National Book Award.[1] [3]
Her other honors include 2 National Endowment for the Arts creative writing fellowships, the 1990 Connecticut Arts Award, a Fulbright Teaching Fellowship, and a 2001 Guggenheim Fellowship.[4]
She was poet laureate of Connecticut from 2001 to 2006.[5]
Awards[]
- 2005 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
- 2001 Boston Globe/Hornbook Award
- 1998 Poets' Prize
- 1992 Anisfield-Wolf Award
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- For the Body: Poems. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1978.
- Mama's Promises: Poems. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisian State University Press, 1985.
- The Homeplace: Poems. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisian State University Press, 1990.
- Partial Truth (chapbook). Willington, CT: Kutenai Press, 1992.
- Magnificat. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1994.
- The Fields of Praise: New and selected poems. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 1997.
- She-Devil Circus (chapbook). West Chester, PA: Aralia Press, 2001.
- Triolets for Triolet (chapbook). Curbstone Press, 2001.
- Carver: A Life in Poems. Asheville, NC: Front Street, 2001.
- The Cachoeira Tales, and other poems. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisian State University Press, 2005.
- The Freedom Business: Connecticut landscapes through the eyes of Venture Smith: Poems. Old Lyme, CT: Lyme Historical Society / Florence Griswold Museum, 2006.
- Sweethearts of Rhythm: The story of the greatest all-girl band in the world (illustrated by Jerry Pinkney). New York: Dial Books, 2009.
- Faster than Light: New and selected poems. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 2012.
Juvenile[]
- The Cat Walked Through the Casserole, and other poems for children (with Pamela Espeland, various illustrators). Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, 1984.
- Fortune's Bones: The manumission requiem (young adult). Asheville, NC: Front Street, 2004.
- A Wreath for Emmett Till (illustrated by Philippe Lardy). Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
- Miss Crandall's school for young ladies and little misses of color : poems (with Elizabeth Alexander; illustrated by Floyd Cooper). HonHonesdale, Pa. : Wordsong, 2007.
- Pemba’s Song: A ghost story (with Tonya Hegamin). New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.
- The Freedom Business: Including a narrative of the life and adventures of Venture, a native of Africa. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong, 2008.
- Snook Alone (illustrated by Timothy B. Ering). Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2010.
- Ostrich and Lark. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2012.
- How I Discovered Poetry (poem; illustrated by Hadley Hooper). New York: Dial Books, 2014.
- Beautiful Ballerina (with photos by Susan Kuklin). New York: Scholastic, 2009.
Translated[]
- Halfdan Rasmussen, Hundreds of Hens, and other poems for children (translated with Pamela Espeland; illustrated by D.M. Robinson). Minneapolis, MN: Black Willow Press, 1982.
- Inge Pedersen, The Thirteenth Month. Oberlin, OH: Oberlin College Press, 2005.
- Halfdan Rasmussen, The Ladder (illustrated by Pierre Pratt). Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2006.
- Euripides, Hecuba, in Euripedes I (edited by David R. Slavitt & Palmer Bovie). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press (Penn Greek Drama Series), 1998.[6]
- Halfdan Rasmussen, A Little Bitty Man, and other poems for children (translated with Pamela Espeland; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes). Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2011.
Marilyn Nelson Dear Poet 2017
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[7]
See also[]
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Marilyn Nelson, Poets.org, Academy of American Poets. Web, Sep. 15, 2018.
- ↑ Marilyn Nelson b. 1946, Poetry Foundation, Web, Nov. 15, 2012.
- ↑ Author's Booking Agent: Blue Flowers Arts; Author Page; Marilyn Nelson Bio
- ↑ Soul Mountain Retreat > Marilyn Nelson Biography
- ↑ Author's Booking Agent: Blue Flowers Arts > Author Page > Marilyn Nelson Bio
- ↑ Euripides 1, University of Pennsylvania Press. Web, Oct. 31, 2015.
- ↑ Search results = au:Marilyn Nelson, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Centre Inc. Web, Oct. 31, 2015.
External links[]
- Poems
- Marilyn Nelson profile & 10 poems at the Academy of American Poets.
- Marilyn Nelson b. 1946 at the Poetry Foundation.
- Audio / video
- Audio: NPR: Poetry > Marilyn Nelson Reading A Wreath for Emmett Till
- Video: Library of Congress > Webcasts: Marilyn Nelson Reading at the Bookfest '03
- Books
- Marilyn Nelson at Amazon.com
- About
- Marilyn Nelson at Blue Flowers Arts
- Marilyn Nelson at Encyclopedia.com
- Interview with Marilyn Nelson by Diane Osen at National Book Foundation
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