Lannan Literary Awards
12 appearances
Rikki Ducornet
リッキー・デュコルネ
Rikki Ducornet
Aliases:
Erica DeGre / Erica DeGré
Pen Names:
Rikki（Short form used on early poetry publications）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1943-04-19 （Canton, New York, U.S.）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Annandale-on-Hudson, New York (Bard College campus) → Loire Valley, France (long-term residence) → Cairo, Egypt (part of childhood) → Algeria (mid-1960s residence) → Port Townsend, Washington (current residence)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, poet, artist (painter/printmaker), illustrator, essayist, translator (selected works), teacher (visiting/appointed)
- Active Years
- 1984-
- Affiliations
- Bard College (alumna), University of Denver (English Department, teaching), University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Writer in Residence)
- Influenced By
- Surrealism (artistic movement), Albert Camus (influence via early reading), Robert Coover, Robert Kelly, Classical and esoteric thought (indirect influence)
- Influenced
- Contemporary fabulist and surrealist writers, Writers and artists working at the intersection of visual art and literature
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bard College | Fine Arts | — | B.A. | 1960–1964 | United States |
Bard College
Fine Arts
Degree:
B.A.
Period:
1960–1964
Year of Graduation:
1964
Country:
United States
Grew up on Bard College campus and received a B.A. in Fine Arts in 1964
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Arts and Letters Award in Literature | — | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | 受賞 |
| 2004 | Lannan Literary Award for Fiction | — | フィクション | Lannan Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1998 | Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters | — | — | Charles Flint Kellogg Award (regional award) | 受賞 |
| 1995 | Critics Choice Award | — | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Lannan Literary Award for Fiction | — | フィクション | Lannan Foundation | 受賞 |
Arts and Letters Award in Literature
2008
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
受賞
Lannan Literary Award for Fiction
2004
Category:
フィクション
Organization:
Lannan Foundation
Result:
受賞
Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters
1998
Organization:
Charles Flint Kellogg Award (regional award)
Result:
受賞
Critics Choice Award
1995
Result:
受賞
Lannan Literary Award for Fiction
1993
Category:
フィクション
Organization:
Lannan Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Stain
1984 Novel (surrealism/fantastical)First novel in the tetralogy of elements; explores transformation, authority, and intersections of nature and myth.
metamorphosisnatureresistance to authority
Entering Fire
1986 Novel (surrealism/fantastical)Second of the elements tetralogy; examines language, ritual, eros and destruction.
erosrituallanguage
The Fountains of Neptune
1989 Novel (fantastical/lyrical prose)Third element novel focused on water; unfolds stories submerged in dreams and memory.
dreammemorywater
The Jade Cabinet
1993 Novel (fantastical/surreal)Fourth element novel; includes references to Alice in Wonderland and interweaves imagination with history.
transformationfantasyreferences to children's literature
Phosphor in Dreamland
1995 Novel (fantastical)Often considered a 'fifth element' novel emphasizing light and dream motifs.
dreamlightfantasy
The Butcher's Tales
1980 Short fiction (fantastical)Early short-story collection addressing authority, beauty, and moral questions.
moralityauthorityfantasy
Gazelle
2003 NovelNovel influenced by childhood experiences in Egypt; explores cross-cultural tensions and personal memory.
memoryculturenature
Netsuke: a novel
2011 NovelStory revolving around small carved objects (netsuke); examines intersections of tradition and imagination.
arttraditionimagination
Brightfellow: a novel
2016 NovelRecent novel mixing supernatural elements with intimate narratives.
supernaturalpersonal history
Trafik: A Novel in Warp Drive
2021 Novel (experimental/surreal)An experimental novel of the 2020s characterized by wordplay and cosmological imagery.
linguistic experimentcosmology
The Plotinus
2023 NovelRecent work incorporating Plotinian/neoplatonic motifs into literary narrative.
neoplatonismphilosophymysticism
Bibliography
- The Butcher's Tales (1980)
- The Stain (1984)
- Entering Fire (1986)
- The Fountains of Neptune (1989)
- The Jade Cabinet (1993)
- Phosphor in Dreamland (1995)
- The Fan-Maker's Inquisition (1999)
- Gazelle (2003)
- Netsuke (2011)
- Brightfellow (2016)
- Trafik: A Novel in Warp Drive (2021)
- The Plotinus (2023)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- surrealist, dreamlike prosepoetic and symbolic with strong linguistic experimentationlyrical/poetic rhythms and layered imagery
- Recurring Motifs
- nature (animals, plants, elements)eros and desiremetamorphosisgnosticism and cosmological imagerybestiary/fabulist motifssubversion of authority
Legacy
Rikki Ducornet has established a distinctive literary world through surrealist imagination and linguistic experimentation, praised for crossing poetry and visual art. She is the subject of academic study and archival collections.
Museums
- Ohio State University Rare Books & Manuscripts Library (collection) Columbus, Ohio, United States
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (award-related)
- Academic communities in English and comparative literature
Archives
- Papers and prints at Ohio State University Rare Books & Manuscripts Library
- Papers at University of California San Diego Library
In Popular Culture
- Mentioned as the muse/figure behind Steely Dan's song "Rikki Don't Lose That Number"
Quotes
-
Philosophically it's an interesting song; I mean I think his 'number' is a cipher for the self.
Source: Interview (quoted in Publishers Weekly / various interviews) (2016)
Trivia
- Born Erica DeGre (Erica DeGré).
- Steely Dan's song "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is said to have been inspired by her.
- Raised in a multicultural household: Cuban father and Russian-Jewish mother.
- Known to handwrite drafts of her books with pen and ink.
- Works across visual art and literature; has illustrated books and exhibited painted scrolls.
- Papers and prints are held at Ohio State University and UC San Diego libraries.