Gotham Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 21 (2023) Nominee
Jill Bialosky
ジル・ビアロスキー
Jill Bialosky
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1957-04-13 （Cleveland, Ohio, United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Cleveland, Ohio (raised) → New York City (resident)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, novelist, essayist, editor
- Active Years
- 1980-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio University | — | English | BA | 1975–1979 | United States |
| Johns Hopkins University | — | English / Literature | MA | 1980–1982 | United States |
| University of Iowa (Iowa Writers' Workshop) | — | Creative Writing | MFA | 1984–1986 | United States |
Ohio University
English
Degree:
BA
Period:
1975–1979
Year of Graduation:
1979
Country:
United States
Johns Hopkins University
English / Literature
Degree:
MA
Period:
1980–1982
Year of Graduation:
1982
Country:
United States
University of Iowa (Iowa Writers' Workshop)
Creative Writing
Degree:
MFA
Period:
1984–1986
Year of Graduation:
1986
Country:
United States
Completed MFA at the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | James Laughlin Award (Finalist) | Subterranean | — | Academy of American Poets | Finalist |
| 2008 | Paterson Prize (Finalist) | Intruder | — | Paterson Prize | Finalist |
| 2011 | Ohioana Award (Finalist) | History of a Suicide: My Sister’s Unfinished Life | — | Ohioana Library Association | Finalist |
| 2011 | Books for a Better Life (Finalist) | History of a Suicide: My Sister’s Unfinished Life | — | Books for a Better Life | Finalist |
James Laughlin Award (Finalist)
2001
Work:
Subterranean
Organization:
Academy of American Poets
Result:
Finalist
Paterson Prize (Finalist)
2008
Work:
Intruder
Organization:
Paterson Prize
Result:
Finalist
Ohioana Award (Finalist)
2011
Work:
History of a Suicide: My Sister’s Unfinished Life
Organization:
Ohioana Library Association
Result:
Finalist
Books for a Better Life (Finalist)
2011
Work:
History of a Suicide: My Sister’s Unfinished Life
Organization:
Books for a Better Life
Result:
Finalist
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The End of Desire
1999 PoetryA collection of poems exploring desire, loss, and everyday experience through free verse.
desirelosseveryday life
Subterranean
2001 Poetry 96 pagesA book of poems that probe inner shadows and the depths of the psyche, attempting to touch emotional subterranea.
interioritypsychic depthsmemory
History of a Suicide: My Sister’s Unfinished Life
2011 Memoir / NonfictionA memoir recounting the author's family history and the suicide of her sister, exploring loss, trauma, and familial legacy.
suicidefamilytrauma
The Prize
2015 FictionA novel about marriage, ambition, and the entanglements around a literary prize, set against the world of editors and writers.
literary worldjealousyrelationships
Asylum: A Personal, Historical, Natural Inquiry in 103 Lyric Sections
2020 PoetryA lyric sequence combining personal, historical, and natural history elements, featuring formal experiments and explorations of memory.
naturehistorypersonal history
Bibliography
- The End of Desire (1999)
- Subterranean (2001)
- House Under Snow: A Novel (2002)
- The Life Room: A Novel (2007)
- Intruder (2008)
- History of a Suicide: My Sister’s Unfinished Life (2011)
- The Players (2015)
- The Prize (2015)
- Poetry Will Save Your Life—A Memoir (2017)
- Asylum (2020)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- introspective, lyrical free verseuse of plain everyday language
- Recurring Motifs
- desire and lossfamily historymemory and trauma
Legacy
Recognized as a significant contemporary American poet and memoirist, Bialosky is known for work that spans poetry, memoir, and fiction. She gained wider readership in the 2010s with successful memoirs but faced plagiarism allegations in 2017.
Quotes
-
Poetry will save your life.
Source: Poetry Will Save Your Life (book title) (2017)
Trivia
- She has three children; she has written that her first two children died shortly after birth.
- In 2017 allegations of plagiarism concerning passages in her memoir prompted public discussion.