American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1987) Winner
Etheridge Knight
エセリッジ・ナイト
Etheridge Knight
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1931-04-19 （Corinth, Mississippi, US）
- Died
- 1991-03-10 （Indianapolis, Indiana, US） age 59
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Corinth, Mississippi → Paducah, Kentucky → Indianapolis, Indiana → Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania → Minneapolis, Minnesota → Memphis, Tennessee
Career
- Occupations
- poet, writer, teacher, editor
- Active Years
- 1965-1991
- Affiliations
- University of Pittsburgh (writer-in-residence), University of Hartford (teaching), Lincoln University (Missouri, teaching), Broadside Press (publisher / collaborator)
- Influenced By
- Gwendolyn Brooks, Dudley Randall, Sonia Sanchez, Haki Madhubuti, influences from the Black Arts Movement / Civil Rights context
- Influenced
- later African-American poets influenced by the Black Arts Movement, contemporary poets adopting vernacular and politically engaged poetry
- Nominations
- Belly Song and Other Poems — nominated for the National Book Award, Belly Song and Other Poems — nominated for the Pulitzer Prize
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Center University | — | American poetry & criminal justice | 学士（Bachelor's） | 1990 | United States |
Martin Center University
American poetry & criminal justice
Degree:
学士（Bachelor's）
Period:
1990
Year of Graduation:
1990
Country:
United States
Bachelor's degree earned late in life (1990).
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | National Endowment for the Arts grant | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | 受賞 |
| 1974 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
National Endowment for the Arts grant
1972
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
1974
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Poems from Prison
1968 Poetry (prison poems)A debut collection written during his incarceration, recalling prison life, suffering and survival in candid vernacular.
incarcerationfreedomracismsurvival and renewal
Black Voices from Prison
1970 Poetry (with contributions)A collection originally published in Italy and later in English, featuring writings by Knight and other inmates, amplifying imprisoned voices.
prison voicescommunityresistance
Belly Song and Other Poems
1973 PoetryA collection treating love, race, and bodily experience with frank emotion; critically acclaimed and nominated for major awards.
lovephysicalityrace
Born of a Woman: New and Selected Poems
1980 Poetry (selected)New and selected poems showcasing Knight's development and recurring concerns as a mature poet.
memoryancestral tributefreedom
The Essential Etheridge Knight
1986 Poetry (anthology)A curated collection of major poems providing an overview of his oeuvre.
prison experiencevernacular dictionsocial justice
Bibliography
- Poems from Prison (1968)
- 2 Poems for Black Relocation Centers (1968)
- The Idea of Ancestry (1968)
- Black Voices from Prison (1970)
- A Poem for Brother Man (1972)
- For Black Poets Who Think of Suicide (1972)
- Belly Song and Other Poems (1973)
- Born of a Woman: New and Selected Poems (1980)
- The Essential Etheridge Knight (1986)
- The Lost Etheridge (2022)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- use of Black vernacular (vernacular diction)concise, forceful, oral/performative styleincorporation of forms including haiku
- Recurring Motifs
- imprisonment and freedomancestral tributeaddiction and recoverybody and scars
Health
-
Lung cancer1990–1991Declining health forced him to stop teaching and reduced creative activity; he died in 1991.
-
Opioid addiction (morphine, etc.)1950年代–1970年代（特に1950年代以降）Addiction contributed to criminal activity and incarceration, but prison experiences became a central source for his poetry.
Legacy
Etheridge Knight became a vital voice by transforming prison experience into powerful vernacular poetry. Associated with the Black Arts Movement, his work on social justice, ancestry, and freedom influenced subsequent generations of poets.
Archives
- Etheridge Knight Collection, Butler University
- University of Pittsburgh press/archive materials
In Popular Culture
- Frequently cited as a central poet of the Black Arts Movement.
Quotes
-
Ideas are not the source of poetry. For me it's passion, heart and soul.
Source: Interview (unspecified)
Trivia
- Served in the Korean War and sustained injuries and psychological trauma.
- Arrested for armed robbery in 1960 and served an eight-year sentence; prison experience catalyzed his poetry.
- Gained prominence in 1968 with Poems from Prison.
- Received an NEA grant in 1972 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1974.
- Earned a bachelor's degree in American poetry and criminal justice from Martin Center University in 1990, late in life.
- Married poet Sonia Sanchez upon release (marriage ended in 1970).