PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 15 (2005) Winner
Neeli Cherkovski
ニーリ・チェルコフスキー
Neeli Cherkovski
Aliases:
Nelson Innis Cherry
Pen Names:
Nelson Innis Cherry（birth name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1945-07-01 （Santa Monica, California, U.S.）
- Died
- 2024-03-19 （San Francisco, California, U.S.） age 78
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Religion
- Judaism
- Residence History
- Santa Monica (early life) → San Bernardino (grew up) → San Francisco (resident from 1975)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, writer, memoirist
- Active Years
- 1959-2024
- Affiliations
- New College of California (writer-in-residence)
- Influenced By
- Beat Generation poets (e.g., Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti)
- Influenced
- Poets and performers around the San Francisco scene
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California State University, Los Angeles | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Hebrew Union College (brief attendance) | — | — | — | — | United States |
California State University, Los Angeles
Country:
United States
Hebrew Union College (brief attendance)
Country:
United States
brief attendance
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award | Leaning Against Time | — | PEN Oakland | Winner |
| 2017 | Jack Mueller Poetry Prize | — | — | Lithic Press | Winner |
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
2005
Work:
Leaning Against Time
Organization:
PEN Oakland
Result:
Winner
Jack Mueller Poetry Prize
2017
Organization:
Lithic Press
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 41 (2020) Winner
Works
Major Works
Whitman's Wild Children
1989 essay / literary criticismA collection of biographical essays about twelve poets the author knew, combining personal stories and poetry analysis.
Beat generationbiographypoetry criticism
Hank: The Life of Charles Bukowski
1991 biographyA biography of Charles Bukowski, discussing his life, relationship with the author, and literary background.
biographyBeatliterary history
Animal
1996 poetryOne of the author's poetry collections, noted for lyrical and personal voice.
personal memoryurban lifephysicality
Leaning Against Time
2004 poetryA poetry collection themed around time, memory, and remembrances of friends; critics praised its lyricism.
memoryremembrancetime
Selected Poems 1959-2022
2024 poetry / selected poemsA selected collection of poems from 1959 to 2022, offering an overview of his lifetime of work.
career retrospectiveevolution of poetry
Bibliography
- Don't Make a Move (Tecumseh Press, 1974)
- The Waters Reborn (Red Hill Press, 1975)
- Public Notice (Beatitude, 1975)
- Ferlinghetti, a biography (DoubleDay, 1979)
- Love Proof (Green Light Press, 1980)
- Juggler Within (Harwood Alley Monographs, 1983)
- Clear Wind (Avant Books, 1984)
- Whitman's Wild Children (Lapis Press, 1989)
- Hank: The Life of Charles Bukowski (Random House, 1991)
- Animal (Pantograph Press, 1996)
- Elegy for Bob Kaufman (Sun Dog Press, 1996)
- Leaning Against Time (R.L. Crow Publications, 2004)
- Naming the Nameless (Sore Dove Press, 2004)
- From the Canyon Outward (R.L. Crow Publications, 2009)
- From the Middle Woods (New Native Press, 2011)
- Manila Poems (Bottle of Smoke Press, 2013)
- Elegy for My Beat Generation (Lithic Press, 2018)
- In the Odes (Magra Books, 2018)
- Coolidge & Cherkovski: In Conversation (Lithic Press, 2020)
- Selected Poems 1959-2022 (Lithic Press, 2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- strong lyricismpersonal and memoir-like voicecolloquial expression influenced by Beat poets
- Recurring Motifs
- urban lifecafe culturememory and timeremembrance of fellow poets
Health
-
heart attack2024-03Hospitalized after a heart attack in March 2024 and subsequently died.
Legacy
A poet and biographer who chronicled and helped preserve the Beat generation and San Francisco's poetic traditions. Praised for lyrical verse and memoiristic works, he influenced many poets and readers.
Archives
- Papers housed at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley
Quotes
-
...in the end, what stamps Cherkovski’s poetry as unique is its unbounded lyricism.
Source: Gerald Nicosia (poetry critic) (2005)
Trivia
- Born Nelson Innis Cherry; family original surname was Cherkovski before being changed to Cherry by his grandfather.
- Resident of San Francisco from 1975 onward.
- Produced the first San Francisco Poetry Festival.
- Papers are held at the Bancroft Library.
- Partner at time of death: Jesus Guinto Cabrera.