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Barbara Hamby

バーバラ・ハンビー

Bābara Hanbī

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1952-01-01 （New Orleans, Louisiana, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
New Orleans (birthplace) → Hawaii (raised) → Tallahassee, Florida (residence)

Career

Occupations
poet, fiction writer, editor, critic, writer-in-residence
Active Years
1995-
Affiliations
Florida State University, Department of English, Creative Writing Program (writer-in-residence)

Awards

Guggenheim Fellowship
2010
Organization: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result: 受賞
Iowa Short Fiction Award
2010
Work: Lester Higata's 20th Century (stories)
Organization: University of Iowa Press
Result: 受賞
Donald Hall Prize in Poetry
2003
Work: Babel
Organization: Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)
Result: 受賞
New York University Poetry Prize
1998
Work: The Alphabet of Desire
Organization: New York University Press
Result: 受賞
Kate Tufts Discovery Award
1996
Work: Delirium
Organization: Kate Tufts Foundation
Result: 受賞
Norma Farber First Book Award
1996
Work: Delirium
Organization: Poetry Society of America
Result: 受賞
Vassar Miller Prize
1995
Work: Delirium
Organization: Vassar Miller Prize
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Delirium

1995 poetry

Her debut poetry collection, noted for language play and personal memory; received the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and other honors.

memorylanguage playpersonal scenes

The Alphabet of Desire

1999 poetry

A collection exploring desire and relationships; winner of the New York University Poetry Prize.

desirehuman relationshipslanguage and meaning

Babel

2004 poetry

A collection addressing linguistic diversity and mixing; recipient of the Donald Hall Prize in Poetry (AWP).

languagemulticulturecommunication

All-Night Lingo Tango

2009 poetry

A collection emphasizing rhythm and phonetics, thematically centered on the dance of words.

musicalityphoneticsplayfulness

On the Street of Divine Love: New and Selected Poems

2014 poetry (new and selected)

A new-and-selected volume showcasing development across Hamby's poetic career.

spiritualityeveryday lifeinquiry into language

Bird Odyssey

2018 poetry

A collection themed around birds and nature, mixing observation with imaginative leaps.

naturebirdsobservation

Holoholo

2021 poetry

A recent collection; the title incorporates a word of Hawaiian origin.

identitysense of placememory

Lester Higata's 20th Century

2010 short fiction

A collection of short stories; winner of the Iowa Short Fiction Award.

historical recallcross-cultural dialogue

Bibliography

  • Delirium: poems (1995)
  • The Alphabet of Desire (1999)
  • Babel: poems (2004)
  • All-Night Lingo Tango: poems (2009)
  • On the Street of Divine Love: New and Selected Poems (2014)
  • Bird Odyssey (2018)
  • Holoholo (2021)
  • Lester Higata's 20th Century: stories (2010)
  • Seriously Funny: poetry anthology (edited with David Kirby, 2010)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
poetic style emphasizing language play and sounddetailed observational descriptionuse of humor and wit
Recurring Motifs
language and translationmemory and the pastbirds and naturedesire and relationships

Legacy

Barbara Hamby is an important voice in contemporary American poetry, known for her linguistic sensitivity and humor. With multiple awards across poetry and short fiction, she has contributed to the field as a writer and as a participant in university creative writing programs.

Academic Societies

  • Poetry Society of America (related)
  • Association of Writers and Writing Programs (related)

Trivia

  • Married to fellow poet David Kirby; they live in Tallahassee.
  • Born in New Orleans and raised in Hawaii.
  • Debut collection Delirium received multiple awards.
  • Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2010.