American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 6 (1985) Winner
Colleen J. McElroy
コリーン・J・マクエルロイ
Colleen J. McElroy
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1935-10-31 （St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.）
- Died
- 2023-12-12 （Seattle, Washington, U.S.） age 88
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. → Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- poet, short story writer, editor, memoirist, professor
- Active Years
- 1960-2023
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (professor, professor emeritus), The Seattle Review (editor-in-chief)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas State University | — | — | 学士 | ～1958 | United States |
| University of Washington | — | — | Ph.D. | ～1973 | United States |
Kansas State University
Degree:
学士
Period:
～1958
Year of Graduation:
1958
Country:
United States
University of Washington
Degree:
Ph.D.
Period:
～1973
Year of Graduation:
1973
Country:
United States
Earned Ph.D.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | NEA Creative Writing Fellowship (Poetry) | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) | 受賞 |
| 1985 | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1988 | Fulbright Creative Writing Fellowship | — | — | Fulbright Program | 派遣（ユーゴスラビア） |
| 1991 | NEA Creative Writing Fellowship (Fiction) | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) | 受賞 |
| 1992 | DuPont Distinguished Scholar in Residence | — | — | DuPont | 就任 |
| 1991 | Rockefeller Fellowship (Bellagio Center) | — | — | Rockefeller Foundation | 受賞（滞在） |
| 1993 | Fulbright Creative Writing Fellowship | — | — | Fulbright Program | 派遣（マダガスカル） |
NEA Creative Writing Fellowship (Poetry)
1978
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Result:
受賞
American Book Award
1985
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
Fulbright Creative Writing Fellowship
1988
Organization:
Fulbright Program
Result:
派遣（ユーゴスラビア）
NEA Creative Writing Fellowship (Fiction)
1991
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
Result:
受賞
DuPont Distinguished Scholar in Residence
1992
Organization:
DuPont
Result:
就任
Rockefeller Fellowship (Bellagio Center)
1991
Organization:
Rockefeller Foundation
Result:
受賞（滞在）
Fulbright Creative Writing Fellowship
1993
Organization:
Fulbright Program
Result:
派遣（マダガスカル）
Awards & Nominations
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (2008) Winner
Works
Major Works
Music from Home: Selected Poems
1976 PoetryA selection of early poems focusing on home, music, and memory.
homemusicmemory
Bone Flames: Poems
1987 PoetryA collection from the 1980s blending personal experience with cultural roots.
identityculturememory
Sidewalk Games
PoetryA poetry collection that depicts memory and community through everyday scenes and children's play.
everyday lifecommunitymemory
Travelling Music
1998 PoetryA poetry collection themed around travel and music, notable for its cross-cultural perspectives.
travelmusiccross-cultural
A Long Way from St. Louie
1997 Memoir / TravelA travelogue-style memoir reflecting on distance from home and personal roots.
hometravelself-exploration
Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar
2001 Non-fiction / Translations of oral literatureBased on fieldwork in Madagascar, includes translations and recordings of Malagasy storytellers and songs.
ethnographytranslationoral literature
Driving under the Cardboard Pines and Other Stories
1990 Short storiesA collection of short stories addressing fragments of everyday life and cultural themes.
everyday lifeculturerelationships
Jesus and Fat Tuesday: and other short stories
1987 Short storiesA short story collection that weaves cultural backgrounds with religious motifs.
religioncultureidentity
Bibliography
- Music from Home: Selected Poems (1976)
- Queen of the Ebony Isles (1984)
- Bone Flames: Poems (1987)
- Jesus and Fat Tuesday: and other short stories (1987)
- Driving under the Cardboard Pines and Other Stories (1990)
- A Long Way from St. Louie (1997)
- Travelling Music (1998)
- Over the Lip of the World: Among the Storytellers of Madagascar (2001)
- Sleeping with the Moon: Poems (2007)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical poetry rich in symbolic imageryNon-fiction voice informed by oral literature and fieldwork
- Recurring Motifs
- home and movementmusicmemory and familycultural roots
Legacy
Colleen J. McElroy was a poet, short story writer, and editor who contributed to the visibility of African American culture and oral literatures. She was the first full-time Black female faculty member at the University of Washington and served as editor of The Seattle Review. Her work fostered cross-cultural dialogue through poetry and fieldwork.
Archives
- University of Washington Archives
Trivia
- She was among the first full-time Black female faculty members at the University of Washington.
- Served in editorial roles for The Seattle Review from 1995 to 2006.
- Received the American Book Award in 1985.