National Poetry Series
1 appearances
Joan Murray
ジョーン・マレー
Joan Murray
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1945-08-06 （New York City (South Bronx), New York, United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- South Bronx (New York City) → Old Chatham, New York
Career
- Occupations
- poet, writer, editor, playwright, teacher
- Active Years
- 1970-2025
- Affiliations
- Lehman College (CUNY), New York State Writers Institute (SUNY Albany), Olana (Poet in Residence), New York State Council on the Arts (consultant/administrator)
- Influenced By
- Robert Bly, Joyce Carol Oates, Billy Collins, Amy Clampitt
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter College | Studio Art / English (later) | English | B.A. | — | United States |
| New York University | Graduate studies (English) | English | M.A. | — | United States |
Hunter College
Studio Art / English (later)
/ English
Degree:
B.A.
Country:
United States
Winner of Hunter College's Bernard Cohen fiction prize
New York University
Graduate studies (English)
/ English
Degree:
M.A.
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Glenna Luschei Award (Prairie Schooner) | — | — | Prairie Schooner | 受賞 |
| 2011 | National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | 受賞（2011–2012） |
| 2008 | Pushcart Prize | — | — | Pushcart Press | 受賞（選者: Ray Gonzalez, Philip Schultz） |
| 2006 | Museum Program Grant for Olana residency | — | — | New York State Council on the Arts | 助成 |
| 1999 | National Poetry Series (Open Competition) | Looking for the Parade | — | National Poetry Series | 受賞（選者: Robert Bly） |
| 1999 | New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Fund Grant (play adaptation) | Queen of the Mist (play adaptation) | — | New York Foundation for the Arts | 助成 |
| 1998 | Creation and Presentation Grant for Niagara residency | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | 助成 |
| 1994 | Writer in Residence Grant (New York State Council on the Arts) | — | — | New York State Council on the Arts | 助成 |
| 1994 | Knight Foundation Fellowship at Yaddo | — | — | Knight Foundation / Yaddo | フェローシップ |
| 1993 | Gordon Barber Award (Poetry Society of America) | — | — | Poetry Society of America | 受賞（選者: Billy Collins） |
| 1993 | di Castagnola Award (Runner-up) | — | — | Poetry Society of America | 準優勝（選者: Joyce Carol Oates） |
| 1992 | di Castagnola Award (Finalist) | — | — | Poetry Society of America | ファイナリスト（選者: Marge Piercy） |
| 1990 | Wesleyan New Poets (The Same Water) | The Same Water | — | Wesleyan University Press | 受賞 |
| 1989 | National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | 受賞（1989–1990） |
| 1988 | Walt Whitman Award (Finalist) | — | — | Academy of American Poets | ファイナリスト（選者: Amy Clampitt） |
| 1988 | New York Foundation for the Arts Poetry Fellowship | — | — | New York Foundation for the Arts | 受賞（1988–1989） |
| 1984 | Writer in Residence Grant (New York State Council on the Arts) | — | — | New York State Council on the Arts | 助成（1984–1985） |
| 1984 | Pushcart Prize | — | — | Pushcart Press | 受賞（選者: Joyce Carol Oates） |
| 1983 | Writer in Residence Grant (New York State Council on the Arts) | — | — | New York State Council on the Arts | 助成（1983–1984） |
| — | Residency (Yaddo) | — | — | Yaddo | 滞在（年不詳） |
| — | Residency (The MacDowell Colony) | — | — | The MacDowell Colony | 滞在（年不詳） |
Glenna Luschei Award (Prairie Schooner)
2018
Organization:
Prairie Schooner
Result:
受賞
National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship
2011
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
受賞（2011–2012）
Pushcart Prize
2008
Organization:
Pushcart Press
Result:
受賞（選者: Ray Gonzalez, Philip Schultz）
Museum Program Grant for Olana residency
2006
Organization:
New York State Council on the Arts
Result:
助成
National Poetry Series (Open Competition)
1999
Work:
Looking for the Parade
Organization:
National Poetry Series
Result:
受賞（選者: Robert Bly）
New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Fund Grant (play adaptation)
1999
Work:
Queen of the Mist (play adaptation)
Organization:
New York Foundation for the Arts
Result:
助成
Creation and Presentation Grant for Niagara residency
1998
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
助成
Writer in Residence Grant (New York State Council on the Arts)
1994
Organization:
New York State Council on the Arts
Result:
助成
Knight Foundation Fellowship at Yaddo
1994
Organization:
Knight Foundation / Yaddo
Result:
フェローシップ
Gordon Barber Award (Poetry Society of America)
1993
Organization:
Poetry Society of America
Result:
受賞（選者: Billy Collins）
di Castagnola Award (Runner-up)
1993
Organization:
Poetry Society of America
Result:
準優勝（選者: Joyce Carol Oates）
di Castagnola Award (Finalist)
1992
Organization:
Poetry Society of America
Result:
ファイナリスト（選者: Marge Piercy）
Wesleyan New Poets (The Same Water)
1990
Work:
The Same Water
Organization:
Wesleyan University Press
Result:
受賞
National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship
1989
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
受賞（1989–1990）
Walt Whitman Award (Finalist)
1988
Organization:
Academy of American Poets
Result:
ファイナリスト（選者: Amy Clampitt）
New York Foundation for the Arts Poetry Fellowship
1988
Organization:
New York Foundation for the Arts
Result:
受賞（1988–1989）
Writer in Residence Grant (New York State Council on the Arts)
1984
Organization:
New York State Council on the Arts
Result:
助成（1984–1985）
Pushcart Prize
1984
Organization:
Pushcart Press
Result:
受賞（選者: Joyce Carol Oates）
Writer in Residence Grant (New York State Council on the Arts)
1983
Organization:
New York State Council on the Arts
Result:
助成（1983–1984）
Residency (Yaddo)
Organization:
Yaddo
Result:
滞在（年不詳）
Residency (The MacDowell Colony)
Organization:
The MacDowell Colony
Result:
滞在（年不詳）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Swimming for the Ark: New and Selected Poems 1990-2015
2015 Poetry collection (new & selected)A volume collecting new and selected poems from 1990 to 2015, showcasing Murray's narrative, image-driven poetry.
narrativesocial contextmemory
Dancing on the Edge
2002 Poetry collectionA poetry collection published in connection with the 9/11 anthology; explores contemporary anxieties and personal emotion.
contemporary societyuncertaintypersonal emotion
Looking for the Parade
2000 Poetry collectionA poetry collection chosen by Robert Bly as the winner of the 1998 National Poetry Series; features narrative poems blending social and personal themes.
social historypersonal historymemory
Queen of the Mist: The Forgotten Heroine of Niagara
1999 Novel-in-verseA book-length novel-in-verse about the first woman to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel; a narrative poem based on a historical figure, later adapted for the stage.
historical figurescourage and dangermedia and fame
Adaptations
- [Theater] Queen of the Mist (stage adaptation)
The Same Water
1990 Poetry collectionHer first collection, winner of the Wesleyan New Poets Series.
personal memorylandscape imagery
Bibliography
- Swimming for the Ark: New and Selected Poems 1990-2015
- Dancing on the Edge
- Looking for the Parade
- Queen of the Mist: The Forgotten Heroine of Niagara
- The Same Water
- The Pushcart Book of Poetry: The Best Poems from 30 Years of the Pushcart Prize (editor)
- Poems to Live By in Troubling Times (editor)
- Poems to Live By in Uncertain Times (editor)
Adaptations
- Queen of the Mist (stage adaptation)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- narrative long free verseimage-driven detailrhythmic long lines
- Recurring Motifs
- reimagining historical figures and eventssocial and ethical contextsmemory and personal history
Legacy
Joan Murray is an American poet and editor known for her narrative, book-length poems and image-driven verse. She has been recognized with numerous awards and grants, edited influential anthologies, and adapted work for the stage, exerting a broad influence in contemporary poetry.
Academic Societies
- Poetry Society of America
Archives
- Personal official website and publisher archives
- Norton Poets Online page
In Popular Culture
- Readings and appearances on NPR, Radiolab and other programs
Quotes
-
Working in free verse, Murray is a master of the single, unforgettable detail. Her accessible, image-driven narratives harness the urgency of their moral or social context while staying true to the pacing and music of daily life.
Source: Poetry Foundation (biography) (2019)
Trivia
- Married at 19 and had two children (one died in infancy).
- Began teaching at Lehman College in 1970.
- Queen of the Mist was commissioned for stage adaptation by Jujamcyn Theaters.
- Has published widely in journals such as The Atlantic, Harper's, The Paris Review, and Poetry.