American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 32 (2011) Winner
Carmen Giménez
カルメン・ヒメネス
Carmen Giménez
Aliases:
Carmen Giménez Smith / Carmen Gimenez
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1971-02-20 （New York City, United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Residence History
- New York City (birthplace) → San Jose (San Jose State University) → Iowa City (Iowa Writers' Workshop) → Las Cruces (New Mexico State University) → Blacksburg (Virginia Tech) → Minneapolis (Graywolf Press)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, writer, editor, professor, publisher
- Active Years
- 1999-
- Affiliations
- Virginia Tech (English faculty), New Mexico State University (faculty), Bennington College (MFA faculty), Noemi Press (founder), CantoMundo (founding fellow and co-director), Graywolf Press (Executive Director and Publisher)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose State University | — | — | BA | — | United States |
| Iowa Writers' Workshop (University of Iowa) | — | — | MFA | — | United States |
San Jose State University
Degree:
BA
Country:
United States
Iowa Writers' Workshop (University of Iowa)
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
Attended as a Teaching-Writing Fellow
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Poetry Society of America New American Poets Series | — | — | Poetry Society of America | selection |
| 2011 | Juniper Prize for Poetry | Goodbye, Flicker | Poetry | University of Massachusetts Press | winner |
| 2011 | American Book Award | Bring Down the Little Birds | — | Before Columbus Foundation | winner |
| 2011 | Howard Foundation Fellowship in Creative Nonfiction | — | — | Howard Foundation | fellowship |
| 2013 | National Book Critics Circle Award (Poetry) | Milk and Filth | Poetry | National Book Critics Circle | shortlist |
| 2019 | National Book Award for Poetry | Be Recorder | Poetry | National Book Foundation | finalist |
| 2019 | John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | fellowship |
Poetry Society of America New American Poets Series
2009
Organization:
Poetry Society of America
Result:
selection
Juniper Prize for Poetry
2011
Work:
Goodbye, Flicker
Category:
Poetry
Organization:
University of Massachusetts Press
Result:
winner
American Book Award
2011
Work:
Bring Down the Little Birds
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
winner
Howard Foundation Fellowship in Creative Nonfiction
2011
Organization:
Howard Foundation
Result:
fellowship
National Book Critics Circle Award (Poetry)
2013
Work:
Milk and Filth
Category:
Poetry
Organization:
National Book Critics Circle
Result:
shortlist
National Book Award for Poetry
2019
Work:
Be Recorder
Category:
Poetry
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
finalist
John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship
2019
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
fellowship
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Be Recorder
2019 PoetryA collection exploring personal and familial memory, language, and identity, mixing formal experimentation with historical reflection.
memoryfamilyidentitylanguage
Cruel Futures: City Lights Spotlight Series No. 17
2018 PoetryA shorter collection that incisively examines city life, visions of the future, and the frictions of human relationships.
cityfuturerelationships
Milk and Filth
2013 PoetryA collection themed around the body, origins, shame, and love, notable for sharp imagery and voice.
bodyoriginsshamelove
Goodbye, Flicker
2012 PoetryA sensitive collection depicting everyday life and memory; winner of the Juniper Prize.
everyday lifememoryattachment
The City She Was
2011 PoetryA poetry collection exploring intersections of cityscape and self, overlaying urban scenes with personal history.
cityselfmemory
Odalisque in Pieces
2009 PoetryAn experimental collection assembling fragments of image and language, published by University of Arizona Press.
fragmentationimagerylanguage
Bring Down the Little Birds
2010 MemoirA memoir tracing family history and origins; winner of an American Book Award.
family historyimmigrationmemory
Bibliography
- Be Recorder (2019)
- Cruel Futures (2018)
- Milk and Filth (2013)
- Goodbye, Flicker (2012)
- The City She Was (2011)
- Bring Down the Little Birds (2010)
- Odalisque in Pieces (2009)
- Edited anthologies and chapbooks (various)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- formally experimental and fragmentary poetic techniquesstrong imagery and condensed languageintersection of personal experience and historical narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- familyimmigrant experiencelanguage / bilingualismbody and shame
Legacy
As a Latina American poet, she is recognized for work that intertwines family history, immigrant experience, and gender with both personal and political resonance. As an editor and publisher she has helped nurture emerging writers and amplify diverse voices.
Academic Societies
- Poetry Society of America (associated)
- CantoMundo (founding fellow)
Archives
- Library of Congress, Hispanic Division (literary archive recording)
In Popular Culture
- Featured and interviewed on media outlets such as NPR and NBC
Quotes
-
Writing poems is an act of summoning memory and making space for the voices of family and the past.
Source: NPR interview (2012) (2012)
Trivia
- Founded Noemi Press in 2002.
- Founding fellow and co-director of CantoMundo.
- Became Poetry Section editor at The Nation in 2017.
- Appointed Executive Director and Publisher of Graywolf Press in 2022.