Lannan Literary Awards
3 appearances
-
Edition 94 (2006, held 2 times in year) Fellowship
-
Edition 171 (2006, held 9 times in year) Fellowship
Frank X Walker
フランク・エックス・ウォーカー
Frank X Walker
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1961-06-11 （Danville, Kentucky）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Danville, Kentucky (birth / childhood) → Lexington, Kentucky (professional / residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Educator, Professor, Editor
- Active Years
- 1990-
- Affiliations
- Bluegrass Black Arts Consortium (founder & executive director), University of Kentucky, Department of English (professor), Phi Beta Sigma (Mu Theta chapter, life member), Affrilachian Poets (co-founder)
- Memberships
- Phi Beta Sigma (life member), Affrilachian Poets (charter member)
- Influenced By
- Gurney Norman (mentor / teacher)
- Influenced
- Affrilachian poets and younger Appalachian poets
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | Engineering (changed to English) | Department of English | 学士 | — | United States |
| Spalding University | MFA in Writing | Creative Writing | MFA | 〜2003 | United States |
University of Kentucky
Engineering (changed to English)
/ Department of English
Degree:
学士
Country:
United States
Initially recruited for engineering; changed major to English and completed undergraduate degree.
Spalding University
MFA in Writing
/ Creative Writing
Degree:
MFA
Period:
〜2003
Year of Graduation:
2003
Country:
United States
Completed MFA in Writing in May 2003.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Lillian Smith Book Award | Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York | — | Lillian Smith Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2005 | Lannan Literary Fellowship in Poetry | — | — | Lannan Foundation | 受賞（助成金 $75,000） |
| 2006 | Thomas D. Clark Literary Award for Excellence | — | — | Actors Theatre / related organizations | 受賞 |
| 2006 | Al Smith Fellowship | — | — | Kentucky Arts Council | 受賞（出典要確認） |
| 2013 | Poet Laureate of Kentucky | — | — | State of Kentucky / related bodies | 任命（2013–2014） |
| 2014 | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry | — | — | NAACP | 受賞 |
| 2024 | PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry | — | — | PEN America | 受賞 |
Lillian Smith Book Award
2004
Work:
Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York
Organization:
Lillian Smith Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Lannan Literary Fellowship in Poetry
2005
Organization:
Lannan Foundation
Result:
受賞（助成金 $75,000）
Thomas D. Clark Literary Award for Excellence
2006
Organization:
Actors Theatre / related organizations
Result:
受賞
Al Smith Fellowship
2006
Organization:
Kentucky Arts Council
Result:
受賞（出典要確認）
Poet Laureate of Kentucky
2013
Organization:
State of Kentucky / related bodies
Result:
任命（2013–2014）
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
2014
Organization:
NAACP
Result:
受賞
PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry
2024
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York
2003 PoetryA poetic exploration of York, the African American servant, examining Appalachian history and racial memory through verse.
AppalachiaAfrican-American historymemoryidentity
Adaptations
- [Stage] Buffalo Dance (stage adaptation)
Affrilachia
2000 PoetryA collection tied to Walker's coinage 'Affrilachia,' depicting African American presence and identity in Appalachia.
regional identityrace & cultureidentity
Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers
2013 PoetryA set of poems engaging with the legacy and memory of Medgar Evers, reinterpreting historical memory.
civil rightsmemoryreexamining history
Load in Nine Times
2024 PoetryA recent collection combining personal and regional histories with visual elements in poetry.
personal historyvisual poetryregionalism
Bibliography
- Load in Nine Times
- Love House
- Masked Man, Black
- Ink Stains & Watermarks
- Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers
- Isaac Murphy: I Dedicate This Ride
- When Winter Come: The Ascension of York
- Black Box
- Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York
- Affrilachia
Adaptations
- Coal Black Voices (documentary, history of the Affrilachian Poets)
- Stage adaptation of poems by University of Kentucky Theatre Department
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- spoken-word influenceslyric and epic blendinguse of visual elements
- Recurring Motifs
- Appalachian landscapehistory and memoryrace and identitywork and community
Legacy
Frank X Walker coined the term 'Affrilachia,' making visible the African American presence in Appalachia. As a poet and educator he has energized regional culture and received public recognition, including being the first African American Poet Laureate of Kentucky.
Academic Societies
- Appalachian Studies Association
Archives
- University of Kentucky, Department of English / related archives
In Popular Culture
- Documentary 'Coal Black Voices'
- Stage adaptations of his poems by university theatre departments
Quotes
-
The new word 'Affrilachia' spoke to the union of Appalachian identity and the region's African-American culture and history.
Source: Interview / article (citation needed) (2000)
Trivia
- Born the second of eleven children.
- Adopted the middle initial 'X' during college, given by friends.
- Co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets.
- Won the Lillian Smith Book Award in 2004 for 'Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York'.
- Received a Lannan Literary Fellowship (including $75,000) in 2005.
- Named Kentucky's first African American Poet Laureate in 2013.