Lambda Literary Awards
3 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1996) Winner
-
Edition 10 (1998) Winner
-
Edition 23 (2011) Winner
Eileen Myles
アイリーン・マイルズ
Airīn Mairuzu
Profile
- Gender
- Unknown
- Born
- 1949-12-09 （Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Cambridge, Massachusetts → Arlington, Massachusetts → New York City, New York
Career
- Occupations
- writer, poet, performer, professor, librettist
- Active Years
- 1974-2025
- Affiliations
- St. Mark's Poetry Project (Artistic Director, 1984–1986), University of California, San Diego (Professor of Writing, 2002–2007), Bard College (Visiting Writer), Naropa University, Jack Kerouac School (Visiting)
- Influenced By
- Allen Ginsberg, Alice Notley, Ted Berrigan
- Influenced
- young LGBTQ poets, a generation of post-punk female writer-performers
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts Boston | — | — | — | 〜1971 | United States |
University of Massachusetts Boston
Period:
〜1971
Year of Graduation:
1971
Country:
United States
Graduated 1971. Attended Catholic schools in Arlington during childhood.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction | Inferno (A Poet's Novel) | 小説/フィクション | Lambda Literary | 受賞 |
| 2012 | Guggenheim Fellowship | Afterglow (memoir, project supported) | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2006 | Warhol/Creative Capital Grant | The Importance of Being Iceland (non-fiction collection) | — | Creative Capital / Warhol Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2015 | Clark Prize for Excellence in Arts Writing | — | — | Clark Art Institute | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Creative Capital Award | — | — | Creative Capital | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Bill Whitehead Award | — | — | United States (award organization) | 受賞 |
| 1995 | Lambda Book Award | — | — | Lambda Literary | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Lambda Book Award | — | — | Lambda Literary | 受賞 |
Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Fiction
2011
Work:
Inferno (A Poet's Novel)
Category:
小説/フィクション
Organization:
Lambda Literary
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
2012
Work:
Afterglow (memoir, project supported)
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Warhol/Creative Capital Grant
2006
Work:
The Importance of Being Iceland (non-fiction collection)
Organization:
Creative Capital / Warhol Foundation
Result:
受賞
Clark Prize for Excellence in Arts Writing
2015
Organization:
Clark Art Institute
Result:
受賞
Creative Capital Award
2016
Organization:
Creative Capital
Result:
受賞
Bill Whitehead Award
2020
Organization:
United States (award organization)
Result:
受賞
Lambda Book Award
1995
Organization:
Lambda Literary
Result:
受賞
Lambda Book Award
1998
Organization:
Lambda Literary
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Inferno (A Poet's Novel)
2010 novel / fictionA semi-autobiographical novel drawing on Dantean motifs; blends real and fantastic elements and reworks poetic persona into prose narrative.
self-narrationurban lifeborder between poetry and fiction
Translations
- Translations available in multiple languages
Cool for You (a nonfiction novel)
2000 non-fiction / experimental novelCatalogues institutional spaces and intimate memories, mixing personal history with social critique.
memoryfamilyinstitutional critique
Chelsea Girls
1994 short story collectionA collection of stories rooted in East Village life and Myles's experiences, with strong autobiographical elements.
urban memoryintergenerational exchange
Not Me
1991 poetryOne of Myles's notable poetry collections; includes candid poems addressing politics and identity.
identitypolitics
I Must Be Living Twice: New and Selected Poems
2015 poetryA new-and-selected poems volume that surveys Myles's long career.
reflectionpractice of poetics
Evolution
2018 poetryA recent collection combining personal history with cultural observation.
changepersonal history
For Now
2020 essays / non-fictionA recent collection of essays that weave contemporary culture with personal experience.
essayscultural observation
Bibliography
- The Irony of the Leash (1978)
- A Fresh Young Voice from the Plains (1981)
- Chelsea Girls (1994)
- Cool for You (2000)
- Inferno (2010)
- I Must Be Living Twice (2015)
- Evolution (2018)
- For Now (2020)
Adaptations
- Hell (opera libretto by Michael Webster; libretto by Eileen Myles)
- Wayfaring Stranger (film appearance, 2024)
Translations of Works
- Works translated into German, Russian, Italian and other languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- frank, conversational voiceautobiographical and fragmentary narrationexperimental / New Journalism influences
- Recurring Motifs
- urban life (notably New York)gender and sexualityclass and the politics of speechdogs (Rosie) and intimate others
Legacy
Eileen Myles has had significant influence on American poetry and queer feminist culture since the 1970s. Their cross-genre output—poetry, nonfiction, performance—has made them a cult figure for younger generations of LGBTQ poets and performers.
Archives
- New York Public Library (has exhibited/held related materials)
In Popular Culture
- Name dropped in the Le Tigre song 'Hot Topic'
- A character based on Myles appears in season 2 of the TV series 'Transparent'
Quotes
-
"one of the savviest and most restless intellects in contemporary literature."
Source: Novelist Dennis Cooper (comment) -
"that rare creature, a rock star of poetry."
Source: Boston Globe (review)
Trivia
- Ran an 'openly female' write-in campaign for U.S. President in 1992 (a performance/political act).
- Uses they/them pronouns.
- Name appears in the Le Tigre song 'Hot Topic'.