National Poetry Series
1 appearances
Robert Gibb
ロバート・ギブ
Robāto Gibbu
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1946-09-05 （Homestead, Pennsylvania）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Homestead, Pennsylvania → Amherst, Massachusetts → Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Career
- Occupations
- poet, university professor
- Active Years
- 1976-
- Influenced By
- Poets concerned with regional industrial culture and working-class traditions
- Influenced
- Contemporary Pittsburgh-area poets and regional writers
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | — | — | BFA | 1967–1971 | United States |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | — | — | MFA | 1972–1974 | United States |
| Lehigh University | — | — | MA | 1974–1976 | United States |
| Lehigh University | — | — | Ph.D. | 1976–1986 | United States |
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Degree:
BFA
Period:
1967–1971
Year of Graduation:
1971
Country:
United States
Bachelor of Fine Arts
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Degree:
MFA
Period:
1972–1974
Year of Graduation:
1974
Country:
United States
Master of Fine Arts
Lehigh University
Degree:
MA
Period:
1974–1976
Year of Graduation:
1976
Country:
United States
Master of Arts
Lehigh University
Degree:
Ph.D.
Period:
1976–1986
Year of Graduation:
1986
Country:
United States
Doctor of Philosophy
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | National Poetry Series | The Origins of Evening | Open Competition | National Poetry Series | Winner |
National Poetry Series
1997
Work:
The Origins of Evening
Category:
Open Competition
Organization:
National Poetry Series
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Whale Songs
1976 PoetryAn early collection exploring images of nature and voice.
naturevoicememory
The Margins
1979 PoetryA collection addressing boundaries and the margins of experience.
marginspersonal history
Fugue for a Late Snow
1993 PoetryPoems that depict late-winter scenes and overlapping time with a musical structure.
timeseasonsmemory
The Origins of Evening
1998 Poetry (part of the Homestead Trilogy)Winner of the National Poetry Series; the starting volume of a long poetic cycle probing Pittsburgh's industrial history and working-class culture.
industrial declineworking-class lifesense of place
The Burning World
2004 PoetryContains poems related to the Homestead Trilogy, depicting intersections of industrial landscapes and personal history.
urban memoryindustrial landscapes
World Over Water
2007 PoetryConcludes the Homestead Trilogy; regarded as a major contribution to Pittsburgh poetry.
rivers and cityinheritance of memory
What the Heart Can Bear: Selected and Uncollected Poems, 1979–1993
2009 Poetry (selected)A selected and uncollected poems volume covering 1979–1993.
private historyimagery
Momentary Days
1989 PoetryA collection of poems depicting fleeting memories and moments.
ephemeralitymemory
Bibliography
- Whale Songs
- The Margins
- The Names of the Earth in Summer
- The Winter House
- Entering Time
- A Geography of Common Names
- Momentary Days
- Fugue for a Late Snow
- The Origins of Evening
- The Burning World
- World Over Water
- What the Heart Can Bear: Selected and Uncollected Poems, 1979–1993
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical yet narrative long-form poemsregional realismmusical and structural sensibility
- Recurring Motifs
- steel mills and industrial landscapesMonongahela River (rivers)workers and family memoryruins and traces of time
Legacy
Robert Gibb, known for his Homestead Trilogy, is regarded as an important regional voice for poetically recording and interrogating Pittsburgh's industrial culture.
In Popular Culture
- Often cited within the context of Pittsburgh regional literature
Quotes
-
Poet Robert Gibb's 'The Homestead Trilogy' ... takes its place alongside 'The Homewood Trilogy' in the canon of Pittsburgh literature.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (review by Peter Oresick) (2007)
Trivia
- Won the 1997 National Poetry Series Open Competition for The Origins of Evening.
- The Homestead Trilogy is a nearly 100-poem cycle focused on Pittsburgh's industrial history and culture.
- First poetry collection: Whale Songs (1976).