Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (2002) Winner
Cynthia Zarin
シンシア・ザリン
Cynthia Zarin
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1959-01-01
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Journalist, Editor, Teacher
- Active Years
- 1984-
- Affiliations
- Yale University (teaching), The New Yorker (contributing/staff writer), Gourmet (contributing editor)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | Faculty of Arts and Sciences | English | B.A. | 1977–1981 | United States |
| Columbia University | School of the Arts | Creative Writing (M.F.A.) | M.F.A. | 1982–1984 | United States |
Harvard University
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
/ English
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1977–1981
Year of Graduation:
1981
Country:
United States
Graduated magna cum laude
Columbia University
School of the Arts
/ Creative Writing (M.F.A.)
Degree:
M.F.A.
Period:
1982–1984
Year of Graduation:
1984
Country:
United States
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | National Endowment for the Arts fellowship (poetry) | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | 受賞 |
| — | Artist in Residence at St. John the Divine | — | — | Cathedral of St. John the Divine | 受賞 |
| — | Peter I. Lavan Award | — | — | Peter I. Lavan Award (administering organization) | 受賞 |
| — | New York Women's Press Award for Writing on the Arts | — | — | New York Women's Press | 受賞 |
| — | Ingram Merrill Foundation Award for Poetry | — | — | Ingram Merrill Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize | The Watercourse | — | Los Angeles Times | 受賞 |
| 2011 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
National Endowment for the Arts fellowship (poetry)
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
受賞
Artist in Residence at St. John the Divine
Organization:
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Result:
受賞
Peter I. Lavan Award
Organization:
Peter I. Lavan Award (administering organization)
Result:
受賞
New York Women's Press Award for Writing on the Arts
Organization:
New York Women's Press
Result:
受賞
Ingram Merrill Foundation Award for Poetry
Organization:
Ingram Merrill Foundation
Result:
受賞
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
2002
Work:
The Watercourse
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
2011
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
New Age and other poems
1984 Poetry collectionEarly collection of poems combining personal observation and urban life.
Urban lifePersonal observationMemory
The Swordfish Tooth
1989 Poetry collectionA mid-career collection notable for its metaphors and observations, often about nature and relationships.
NatureRelationshipsImagery
Fire Lyric
1993 Poetry collectionA collection marked by strong language and emotion, where personal experience intersects with imaginative history.
EmotionMemoryImagination
The Watercourse
2002 Poetry collectionA mature collection exploring meaning in everyday details, loss, and healing.
LossHealingDetails of everyday life
The Ada Poems
2010 Poetry collectionA collection focusing on family and personal history, characterized by interwoven narratives and recollections.
FamilyPersonal historyMemory
Orbit
2017 Poetry collectionA recent critically praised collection notable for sensory description and accomplished craft.
SensationCraftLandscape
Bibliography
- New Age and other poems
- The Swordfish Tooth
- Fire Lyric
- The Watercourse
- The Ada Poems
- Orbit
- An Enlarged Heart, A Personal History
- Two Cities
- Children's books (Rose and Sebastian; What Do You See when You Shut Your Eyes?; others)
Adaptations
- Ballet libretto (The Impulse Wants Company)
- Ballet libretto (Dear and Blackbirds)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Clear, lyrical styleObservation-rich descriptionMetaphor-driven, craft-focused poetry
- Recurring Motifs
- FamilyMemoryNatureUrban detail
Legacy
Cynthia Zarin is a prominent contemporary American poet and journalist. Her diverse body of work—poetry collections, essays, children's books, and ballet libretti—has earned honors including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship. She has taught at Yale University and contributed frequently to major outlets such as The New Yorker.
Trivia
- Has taught at Yale University (as teacher/lecturer).
- Contributed frequently to The New Yorker as a writer.
- Wrote libretti for two ballets for BalletCollective (directed by Troy Schumacher).
- Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize (2002) and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2011).