Robin Becker (born 1951) is a feminist American poet, critic, and academic.[1]

Robin Becker. Courtesy Allegheny Front.
Life[]
Youth and education[]
Becker was born in Philadelphia.[1]
She earned a B.A. in 1973 and an M.A. from Boston University in 1976.[1] She resides in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania and spends her summers on the North Fork of Long Island.
Career[]
Becker taught for 17 years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[1] She is professor of English and Women's Studies at Pennsylvania State University,[2] where she has taught since 1993.[3] She also teaches workshops such as those at the Summer Program Poetry Workshops at The Fine Arts Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Her 2 earliest books were published by Alice James Books, Personal Effects (a 3-poet anthology, including Robin Becker, Helena Minton and Marilyn Zuckerman) in 1977 – which makes her an early cooperative member of the press, which was founded in 1973,[4][5]
Her poems, essays, and book reviews have appeared in publications including Slate[6] The American Poetry Review, The Boston Globe, Gettysburg Review, AGNI, Ploughshares, Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, and The Best American Poetry 2008.[7] She has published book reviews in many venues, and writes a column on contemporary poetry called "Field Notes" for the Women's Review of Books, where she serves as Contributing and Poetry Editor.[8]
Writing[]
“Becker grew up listening to her grandmother’s stories, learning from her the nuances of storytelling and her family’s history in Ukraine. Becker was also greatly influenced by the women writers whose poetry was available in the 1970s, including Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, Maxine Kumin, Denise Levertov, and Susan Griffin. “[9]
Ed Ochester has said that "Robin is one of the most varied of the poets on the Pitt list in her style and subject matter – and the foremost feminist poet of her generation.”[10]
In her biography of Becker, Heidi Ogrodnek writes, “She is known for her work in Lesbian and Gay studies and served as visiting scholar at the Center for Lesbian and Gay studies at the City University of New York in 1998. She has said, 'Feminist scholarship and Gay and Lesbian poetry have provided me with the tools with which to work.' Her collections of poetry develop precise, delicate imagery and… depict her own transition from girlhood to womanhood… Maxine Kumin has also been a tremendous inspiration to Becker...[she] learned that 'woman poets could celebrate their lives and not position themselves as victims in every story.' "[11]
Recognition[]
Her honors include fellowships from The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies of the City University of New York, The William Steeple Davis Foundation, the Mary Bunting Institute of Radcliffe College, and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation.
Awards[]
- 1997: Virginia Faulkner Prize for Excellence in Writing from Prairie Schooner[12]
- 1996: Lambda Literary Award in Lesbian Poetry
- 1989: National Endowment for the Arts - Literature Fellowship in Poetry[13]
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- Personal Effects (by Robin Becker, Helena Minton, & Marilyn Zuckerman). Cambridge, MA: Alice James Poetry Co-operative, 1977.
- Backtalk: Poems. Cambridge, MA: Alice James Books, 1982.
- Giacometti’s Dog. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1990.
- All-American Girl. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1996.
- The Horse Fair: Poems. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2000.
- Venetian Blue: Poems (chapbook). Frick Art & Historical Center, 2002.
- Domain of Perfect Affection. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2006.
- Tiger Heron. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2014.
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[14]
Audio / video[]
"The Problem of Magnification," a poem by Robin Becker, 2010-11 Penn State laureate
- Robin Becker. Washington, DC: American University, 2001.
- Visiting Writers' Series: Robin Becker. Portland, OR: Reed College, 2011.
Except where noted, discographical information courtesy WorldCat.[14]
See also[]
References[]
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Robin Becker," Academy of American Poets, Poets.org, Web, Dec. 31, 2011.
- ↑ WGBH Forum Network: Meet the Poet: Robin Becker
- ↑ Robin Becker b. 1951, Poetry Foundation, Web, Aug. 6, 2012.
- ↑ Alice James Books > About Us
- ↑ Alice James Books > Personal Effects Book Page
- ↑ Slate > Yoga By Robin Becker > December 19, 1996
- ↑ The Best American Poetry > Ed Ochester Presents a Poem by Robin Becker > April 19, 2009
- ↑ Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown > 2009 Summer Program - Poetry Workshops
- ↑ Poetry Foundation > Robin Becker (1951 -- )
- ↑ The Washington Post > Poet’s Choice > By Robert Pinsky > Sunday, July 16, 2006
- ↑ PENN State > Pennsylvania Center for the Book > Robin Becker Biography > Prepared by Heidi Ogrodnek, Spring 2005
- ↑ UNL News Releases: 02/10/98
- ↑ NEA Literature Fellowships > 40 Years of Supporting American Writers
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Search results = au:Robin Becker, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Apr. 26, 2014.
External links[]
- Poems
- "The Elimination of First Thoughts"
- "OK, Tucker" at Poet's Choice, by Robert Pinsky, Washington Post
- Professor Robin Becker's poetry... at Allegheny Front (2 poems)
- Robin Becker profile & 6 poems at the Academy of American Poets.
- Robin Becker b. 1951 at the Poetry Foundation.
- Prose
- Poetry Daily > Activist and Gardener: On Maxine Kumin's Torture Poems > A Review by Robin Becker
- The American Poetry Review > 'A Review by Robin Becker of David Ferry’s 'Translation of The Georgics of Virgil
- Audio
- Audio: Robin Becker Reading Her Poems
- The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison KeillorKindness > By Robin Becker > June 3, 1997
- Robin Becker at YouTube
- Books
- Library of Congress Online Catalog
- Robin Becker at Amazon.com
- About
- Robin Becker at Pennsylvania Center for the Book
- PENN State Department of English > Faculty > Robin Becker
- WGBH Forum Network: Meet the Poet: Robin Becker
- The Poetry Center at Smith College > Robin Becker
- Smartish Pace > Review by Marianne Cotugno of Robin Becker’s Domain of Perfect Affection
- University of Pittsburgh Press > Robin Becker > Domain of Perfect Affection Page
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