American Book Awards
2 appearances
-
Edition 32 (2011) Winner
-
Edition 34 (2013) Lifetime Achievement Award
Ivan Argüelles
イヴァン・アルゲレス
Ivan Argüelles
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1939-01-24 （Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.）
- Died
- 2024-04-28 （Berkeley, California, U.S.） age 85
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Residence History
- Mexico City, Mexico → Mexicali, Mexico → Los Angeles, California, U.S. → Rochester, Minnesota, U.S. → Berkeley, California, U.S.
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Librarian
- Active Years
- 1956-2024
- Affiliations
- New York Public Library, University of California, Berkeley, Pantograph Press (co-founder)
- Influenced By
- The Beat Generation (e.g., Allen Ginsberg), Surrealism (French surrealists), Philip Lamantia, César Vallejo, Andrew Joron (collaborator / contemporary poet)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of Chicago | — | Classics | BA | 1958-1961 | United States |
| New York University | — | — | — | 1962 | United States |
| Vanderbilt University | — | Library Science | MLS | 1967-1968 | United States |
University of Minnesota
Country:
United States
Attended; later attended the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
Classics
Degree:
BA
Period:
1958-1961
Year of Graduation:
1961
Country:
United States
BA in Classics
New York University
Period:
1962
Year of Graduation:
1962
Country:
United States
Attended for one year
Vanderbilt University
Library Science
Degree:
MLS
Period:
1967-1968
Year of Graduation:
1968
Country:
United States
MLS in Library Science
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | William Carlos Williams Award | Looking for Mary Lou: Illegal Syntax | — | Poetry Society of America | Winner |
| 2010 | American Book Award | The Death of Stalin: Selected Early Poems | — | Before Columbus Foundation | Winner |
| 2013 | Lifetime Achievement Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | Winner |
William Carlos Williams Award
1989
Work:
Looking for Mary Lou: Illegal Syntax
Organization:
Poetry Society of America
Result:
Winner
American Book Award
2010
Work:
The Death of Stalin: Selected Early Poems
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
Winner
Lifetime Achievement Award
2013
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Instamatic Reconditioning
1978 Poetry; experimentalAn early collection of poems featuring surreal images and neo-Beat influences in shorter pieces.
SurrealismMexican heritageUrban imagery
Looking for Mary Lou: Illegal Syntax
1989 PoetryA notable 1989 collection combining experimental syntactic play with personal and cultural themes.
Experimental syntaxIdentityCultural memory
Madonna Septet
2000 Long poem / epic 867 pagesA seven-part epic poem in two volumes representing Argüelles's turn to long-form poetry.
Epic scopeReligious and mythic motifsIndividual and universal
Comedy, Divine, The
2009 Long poem; Dante-inspiredA long poem formally based on Dante, combining classical motifs with contemporary language.
Dante referencesClassical-contemporary intersectionRedemption and journey
The Death of Stalin: Selected Early Poems
2010 Poetry; selected early poemsA selection of early poems illustrating Argüelles's experimental tendencies and thematic range.
Early experimental poemsHistorical referencePersonal recollection
Bibliography
- Instamatic Reconditioning (1978)
- The Invention of Spain (1978)
- Captive of the Vision of Paradise (1982)
- Looking for Mary Lou: Illegal Syntax (1989)
- Madonna Septet (2000)
- Comedy, Divine, The (2009)
- The Death of Stalin: Selected Early Poems (2010)
- FIAT LUX (2014)
- Orphic Cantos (2016)
- Fragments from a gone world (2017)
- The Unfinished Breath (2 vols, 2023)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Experimental poetry influenced by the Beat movement and surrealismShift to long-form, modernist-influenced epic poemsReturn to shorter, often elegiac poems in later years
- Recurring Motifs
- Imagery related to Mexican heritageReligious and mythic motifs (Madonna, Dantean journeys)Surreal dreamlike imageryFragmentation of city and self
Legacy
Ivan Argüelles was an experimental poet who moved from Beat- and surrealism-influenced forms to large-scale epic poems. Valued for his distinctive perspective as a Mexican-American and his linguistic experimentation, he left a lasting impact on contemporary poetry through his awards and long career as a librarian.
Academic Societies
- Before Columbus Foundation
- Poetry Society of America (associated)
Archives
- University of California, Berkeley Library — Special Collections (possible holdings)
- New York Public Library (catalog and employment records)
In Popular Culture
- Included in poetry anthologies and academic studies
Quotes
-
"Lamantia's mad, Beat-tinged American idiom surrealism had a very strong impact on me. Both intellectual and uninhibited, this was the dose for me."
Source: Autobiographical essay 'Asi Es la Vida'
Trivia
- He had an identical twin brother, José Argüelles (a New Age writer).
- In 1984 he was ranked as the fourth most published poet in the U.S. by a Directory of Small Press Publishers.
- Began publishing poetry collections in 1978 and continued publishing regularly throughout his life.
- Worked long-term as a librarian (NYPL and UC Berkeley) while maintaining an active literary career.