James Laughlin Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 29 (1982) Winner
Margaret Gibson
マーガレット・ギブソン
Margaret Gibson
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1944-01-01 （Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Grew up in Richmond, Virginia → Lives in Preston, Connecticut
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Professor (Emerita)
- Active Years
- 1973-
- Affiliations
- University of Connecticut (Professor Emerita), Yaddo (artist residency)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollins College (Hollins University) | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of Virginia | — | — | — | — | United States |
Hollins College (Hollins University)
Country:
United States
University of Virginia
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | National Book Award (Finalist) | The Vigil, A Poem in Four Voices | — | National Book Foundation | Finalist |
| 1987 | Melville Cane Award (co-winner) | Memories of the Future, The Daybooks of Tina Modotti | — | Poetry Society of America | Co-winner |
| 1982 | Lamont Selection (Academy of American Poets) | Long Walks in the Afternoon | — | Academy of American Poets | Selection |
| — | National Endowment for the Arts Grant | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | Grant |
| — | Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest Fellowship | — | — | Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest | Fellowship |
| — | Grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts | — | — | Connecticut Commission on the Arts | Grant |
| — | The James Boatwright III Prize for Poetry | Earth Elegy (title poem) | — | — | Winner |
| 2001 | Pushcart Prize | Archaeology | — | Pushcart Press | Winner |
National Book Award (Finalist)
1993
Work:
The Vigil, A Poem in Four Voices
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
Finalist
Melville Cane Award (co-winner)
1987
Work:
Memories of the Future, The Daybooks of Tina Modotti
Organization:
Poetry Society of America
Result:
Co-winner
Lamont Selection (Academy of American Poets)
1982
Work:
Long Walks in the Afternoon
Organization:
Academy of American Poets
Result:
Selection
National Endowment for the Arts Grant
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
Grant
Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest Fellowship
Organization:
Lila Wallace/Reader's Digest
Result:
Fellowship
Grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts
Organization:
Connecticut Commission on the Arts
Result:
Grant
The James Boatwright III Prize for Poetry
Work:
Earth Elegy (title poem)
Result:
Winner
Pushcart Prize
2001
Work:
Archaeology
Organization:
Pushcart Press
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Not Hearing the Wood Thrush
2018 PoetryA poetry collection focusing on nature observation, loss, and memory.
naturelossmemory
Broken Cup
2014 PoetryContains poems that weave personal history and introspection.
personal historyintrospection
Second Nature
2010 PoetryPoems dealing with nature-human relationships and everyday observation.
natureeveryday life
One Body: poems
2007 PoetryA collection exploring corporeality, relationships, and memory.
bodyrelationshipsmemory
Autumn Grasses
2003 PoetryA collection themed on seasonal change and personal reminiscence.
seasonsreminiscence
Icon and Evidence
2001 PoetryA poetic exploration of image and evidence.
imagememory
Earth Elegy, New and Selected Poems
1997 Poetry (New and Selected)A collection of new and selected poems; the title poem "Earth Elegy" received an award.
natureenvironmentmemory
The Vigil, A Poem in Four Voices
1993 Long poem / experimental poetryA long poem written in four voices; a 1993 National Book Award finalist.
voicedialoguememory
Out in the Open
1989 PoetryA poetry collection characterized by open perspectives and personal observation.
observationthe personal
Memories of the Future, The Daybooks of Tina Modotti
1986 Poetry (biographical elements)A diary-like poetry collection using the life and images of photographer Tina Modotti as material.
artbiographyimage
Long Walks in the Afternoon
1982 PoetryA collection centered on images evoking long afternoon walks; a Lamont Selection.
timelandscape
Signs
1979 PoetryA collection that includes early poems.
languagesigns
Lunes
1973 PoetryAn early collection focusing on short poetic forms.
formearly work
The Prodigal Daughter: Reclaiming an Unfinished Childhood
2008 MemoirA memoir reexamining her childhood and family history.
reminiscencefamily
Bibliography
- Not Hearing the Wood Thrush
- Broken Cup
- Second Nature
- One Body: poems
- Autumn Grasses
- Icon and Evidence
- Earth Elegy, New and Selected Poems
- The Vigil, A Poem in Four Voices
- Out in the Open
- Memories of the Future, The Daybooks of Tina Modotti
- Long Walks in the Afternoon
- Signs
- Lunes
- The Prodigal Daughter: Reclaiming an Unfinished Childhood
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyric, observation-based styleDetailed depictions of nature and memoryExperimental use of multiple voices (e.g., long poem in four voices)
- Recurring Motifs
- nature and seasonsmemory and the pastimage/photography (related to Tina Modotti)body and relationships
Legacy
Margaret Gibson is a prominent contemporary American poet and educator who has cultivated many poets through her university teaching. Through her poetry collections and memoir she established a distinctive poetic world centered on nature, memory, and image, and was appointed Poet Laureate of Connecticut, reflecting significant public recognition.
Academic Societies
- Academy of American Poets (associated)
- Poetry Society of America (associated)
Trivia
- Named Poet Laureate of Connecticut in 2019 (three-year term).
- Her husband, David McKain, was a poet (deceased).
- Participated in a Yaddo residency in 1975.
- Finalist for the National Book Award in 1993 for The Vigil, A Poem in Four Voices.
- Received a Pushcart Prize in 2001 for the poem "Archaeology."