American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 36 (2015) Lifetime Achievement Award
Anne Waldman
アン・ウォルドマン
Anu Worudoman
Pen Names:
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1945-04-02 （Millville, New Jersey, United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Tibetan Buddhism (influential practice)
- Residence History
- Millville (birthplace) → Greenwich Village, New York City (raised) → Boulder, Colorado (Naropa affiliation)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Performer, Professor, Editor, Activist
- Active Years
- 1966-2025
- Affiliations
- Poetry Project at St. Mark's, Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics / Naropa University, Academy of American Poets (elected Chancellor)
- Memberships
- Academy of American Poets (elected Chancellor)
- Influenced By
- Allen Ginsberg, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Outrider poets of New York
- Influenced
- Contemporary poets (adjacent to Alice Notley, Bernadette Mayer), Students at Naropa
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennington College | — | — | B.A. | 1962–1966 | United States |
Bennington College
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1962–1966
Year of Graduation:
1966
Country:
United States
Received B.A.; began major engagement with poetry in the 1960s.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | PEN Center Literary Award in Poetry | — | — | PEN Center | 受賞 |
| 2013 | Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1996 | Shelley Memorial Award | — | — | The Poetry Society of America | 受賞 |
| 2015 | American Book Award, Lifetime Achievement | — | — | American Book Awards | 受賞 |
| — | International Poetry Championship Bout (Taos) | — | — | Taos poetry community | 複数回優勝 |
PEN Center Literary Award in Poetry
2012
Organization:
PEN Center
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry
2013
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Shelley Memorial Award
1996
Organization:
The Poetry Society of America
Result:
受賞
American Book Award, Lifetime Achievement
2015
Organization:
American Book Awards
Result:
受賞
International Poetry Championship Bout (Taos)
Organization:
Taos poetry community
Result:
複数回優勝
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Fast Speaking Woman
1975 Poetry / Performance poetryA landmark performance poem incorporating chants and rapid recitation; emphasizes breath and ritualized performance, foundational to Waldman's performative approach.
PerformanceFemininityPolitical voice
The Iovis Trilogy
2011 PoetryA three-part long poem combining mythic, lyrical, and political/environmental concerns.
MythEnvironmentSelf and society
Trickster Feminism
2018 Poetry / EssayisticA recent collection that ties feminism to trickster imagination, interrogating gender through play and political engagement.
FeminismIdentityPlayfulness
Mesopotopia
2025 PoetryA 2025 collection linking ancient and contemporary resonances, traversing political, environmental, and personal memory.
History and presentEnvironmentMemory
Bibliography
- Mesopotopia (2025)
- Tendrel: A Meeting of Minds (2024)
- Bard, Kinetic (2023)
- The Iovis Trilogy (2011)
- Trickster Feminism (2018)
- Fast Speaking Woman (1975/1996 reissue)
- Outrider (2006)
- Voice's Daughter of a Heart Yet to be Born (2016)
- Manatee/Humanity (2009)
Adaptations
- Outrider (documentary, 2025)
- Renaldo and Clara (appeared; poem recording used on soundtrack)
Translations of Works
- Rues du monde / Streets of the World (translated into French, 2023)
- para ser estrella a medianoche (Spanish edition, 2022)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Performance-centered poetryFragmentary and rhythmic repetitionCollage-like discourse
- Recurring Motifs
- Breath and chantFemale corporealityEnvironment and politics
Legacy
Anne Waldman is a key figure in American poetry since the 1960s, influential in popularizing performance poetry, teaching at Naropa, and engaging in feminist and political activism. Her archives are preserved for scholarship, and her life and work have been showcased in films and exhibitions.
Museums
- Anne Waldman Collection (Special Collections) University of Michigan Special Collections Library (Ann Arbor)
Academic Societies
- Academy of American Poets
Archives
- University of Michigan Special Collections (Anne Waldman Papers)
In Popular Culture
- Participation in Bob Dylan's tour/film (Renaldo and Clara)
- Documentary film 'Outrider' (2025)
Quotes
-
My life's work is to 'keep the world safe for poetry.'
Source: Interviews / various profiles -
Poetry does not just rest quietly on the page. There needs to be a bigger form.
Source: The Wire (remarks at Jaipur Literature Festival, 2017) (2017)
Trivia
- Allen Ginsberg reportedly called her his 'spiritual wife.'
- Longtime director/faculty of Naropa University's Summer Writing Program.
- Frequent collaborations with musicians and visual artists in performance contexts.