Jackson Poetry Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (2007) Winner
Elizabeth Alexander
エリザベス・アレクサンダー
Elizabeth Alexander
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1962-05-30 （Harlem, New York City, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Washington, D.C. (childhood–) → New York City (residence)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, writer, literary scholar, educator, nonprofit executive
- Active Years
- 1984-
- Affiliations
- Yale University (professor; chair, African American Studies), Columbia University (Wun Tsun Tam Mellon Professor), Ford Foundation (Director for Creativity and Free Expression), Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (President)
- Memberships
- Academy of American Poets (Chancellor), Alpha Kappa Alpha (sorority)
- Influenced By
- Derek Walcott, Gwendolyn Brooks
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidwell Friends School | — | — | High School Diploma | 〜1980 | United States |
| Yale University | — | English | BA | 1980–1984 | United States |
| Boston University | — | Poetry (creative writing) | MA | 1984–1987 | United States |
| University of Pennsylvania | — | English | PhD | 1987–1992 | United States |
Sidwell Friends School
Degree:
High School Diploma
Period:
〜1980
Year of Graduation:
1980
Country:
United States
Yale University
English
Degree:
BA
Period:
1980–1984
Year of Graduation:
1984
Country:
United States
Boston University
Poetry (creative writing)
Degree:
MA
Period:
1984–1987
Year of Graduation:
1987
Country:
United States
Studied with Derek Walcott
University of Pennsylvania
English
Degree:
PhD
Period:
1987–1992
Year of Graduation:
1992
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Jackson Poetry Prize | — | — | Poets & Writers | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Pulitzer Prize | American Sublime | — | Pulitzer Prize Board | ファイナリスト |
| 2010 | Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Lifetime Achievement in Poetry) | — | — | Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards | 受賞（生涯業績） |
| 2018 | Honorary Doctor of Letters (Yale University) | — | — | Yale University | 授与 |
| 2019 | Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Sciences | 選出 |
| 2020 | Elected to the American Philosophical Society | — | — | American Philosophical Society | 選出 |
Jackson Poetry Prize
2007
Organization:
Poets & Writers
Result:
受賞
Pulitzer Prize
2005
Work:
American Sublime
Organization:
Pulitzer Prize Board
Result:
ファイナリスト
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Lifetime Achievement in Poetry)
2010
Organization:
Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Result:
受賞（生涯業績）
Honorary Doctor of Letters (Yale University)
2018
Organization:
Yale University
Result:
授与
Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2019
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Result:
選出
Elected to the American Philosophical Society
2020
Organization:
American Philosophical Society
Result:
選出
Awards & Nominations
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 75 (2010) Special Award
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 26 (2016) Winner
Works
Major Works
The Venus Hottentot
1990 poetry collectionAn early collection exploring race, representation, and history, invoking the figure of Saartjie (Sarah) Baartman.
racehistoryrepresentation
Body of Life
1996 poetry / verse playA work blending poetry and dramatic elements, examining personal history and embodiment.
embodimentmemoryidentity
Adaptations
- [theatre] Diva Studies (staged) (1996)
Antebellum Dream Book
2001 poetry collectionA collection engaging antebellum imagery and national memory in American life.
memoryAmerican historyrace
American Sublime
2005 poetry collectionA collection that intertwines public and personal experience to portray contemporary American landscapes and spirit; Pulitzer Prize finalist.
public lifehistorypersonal memory
Praise Song for the Day
2009 poemA poem composed for and recited at Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration, written for a public ceremonial moment.
public ceremonycommunityhope
Crave Radiance: New and Selected Poems 1998-2010
2010 poetry collectionA selection of new and collected poems from 1998 to 2010.
remembrancefamilypublic discourse
Bibliography
- The Venus Hottentot (1990)
- Body of Life (1996)
- Antebellum Dream Book (2001)
- American Sublime (2005)
- The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks (ed.) (2005)
- American Blue: Selected Poems (2006)
- Miss Crandall's School for Young Ladies and Little Misses of Color: Poems (with Marilyn Nelson, 2007)
- Praise Song for the Day (2009)
- Crave Radiance: New and Selected Poems 1998-2010 (2010)
- The Black Interior (essays, 2004)
- Power and Possibility: Essays, Reviews, and Interviews (2007)
- The Light of the World: A Memoir (2015)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical yet scholarly voiceformal tone suited to public occasioncareful weaving of historical references
- Recurring Motifs
- memory and historyrace and representationfamily and personal historypublic ceremony and community
Legacy
Combining scholarly depth with public poetic presence, she gained wide recognition after reading at the 2009 presidential inauguration. Through poetry, scholarship, and public work she continues to influence conversations in American literature and culture.
Academic Societies
- Academy of American Poets
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- American Philosophical Society
Archives
- Yale University archives (possible repository for related materials)
In Popular Culture
- Recitation at Barack Obama's 2009 presidential inauguration ('Praise Song for the Day')
Quotes
-
"Politics was in the drinking water at my house."
Source: Interview in The New York Times (2008)
Trivia
- She was the fourth poet to read at an American presidential inauguration in 2009.
- Studied poetry under Derek Walcott.
- Her husband, Ficre Ghebreyesus, died in 2012; she has two sons.