American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 3 (1982) Winner
Ronald Phillip Tanaka
ロナルド・フィリップ・タナカ
Ronald Phillip Tanaka
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1944-01-01 （Poston War Relocation Center, Arizona, USA）
- Died
- 2007-01-01 age 63
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Poston (Arizona, relocation center) → Claremont, California (studies) → Sacramento, California (residence and work)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Editor, Professor
- Active Years
- 1970-2007
- Affiliations
- California State University, Sacramento
- Influenced By
- Julian C. Boyd
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomona College | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of California, Berkeley | — | Renaissance British Literature, philosophy of language, generative syntax and semantics | Ph.D. | — | United States |
Pomona College
Country:
United States
Bachelor's degree (year unspecified)
University of California, Berkeley
Renaissance British Literature, philosophy of language, generative syntax and semantics
Degree:
Ph.D.
Country:
United States
Advised by Julian C. Boyd (year unspecified)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | American Book Award | The Shino Suite: Japanese-American Poetry | — | Before Columbus Foundation (USA) | 受賞 |
| — | California Arts Council | — | — | California Arts Council | 受賞（詳細年不明） |
| — | Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission | — | — | Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission | 受賞（詳細年不明） |
| — | Foundation of California State University, Sacramento | — | — | Foundation of California State University, Sacramento | 受賞（詳細年不明） |
American Book Award
1982
Work:
The Shino Suite: Japanese-American Poetry
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation (USA)
Result:
受賞
California Arts Council
Organization:
California Arts Council
Result:
受賞（詳細年不明）
Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission
Organization:
Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission
Result:
受賞（詳細年不明）
Foundation of California State University, Sacramento
Organization:
Foundation of California State University, Sacramento
Result:
受賞（詳細年不明）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Shino Suite: Japanese-American Poetry
2000 Poetry collectionA collection of poems addressing Japanese-American history, family, and memory, including themes of internment and identity.
Japanese-American identityInternmentMemoryFamily
Shidó, The Way of Poetry
2001 Poetry collection / poetic essaysMeditative poems exploring the practice and way of poetry, focusing on intersections of form and tradition.
PoeticsTradition vs. experimentationLanguage
Scenes from a Country Tea Room: New Japanese-American Poetry
2006 Poetry collection / anthologyCollects voices of Japanese-American life through vignettes of country tea rooms and everyday scenes, highlighting cultural memory and daily life.
Everyday lifeCultural memorySense of place
Systems Models for Literary Macro-theory
1976 Literary criticism / theoryAn academic study proposing macro-level models for literary theory, reflecting interests beyond poetic practice into literary criticism.
Literary theorySystems theory
On the Metaphysical Foundations of a Sansei Poetics
Scholarly articleAn essay discussing the metaphysical foundations of a Sansei poetics.
Asian American literaturePoeticsIdentity
Bibliography
- The Shino Suite: Japanese-American Poetry
- Shidó, The Way of Poetry
- Scenes from a Country Tea Room: New Japanese-American Poetry
- Systems Models for Literary Macro-theory
- On the Metaphysical Foundations of a Sansei Poetics
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Poetic language reflecting bicultural Japanese-American experienceExperimental yet rooted in traditionReflective, theory-informed prose and poetry
- Recurring Motifs
- Memories of internmentFamily and generationsLanguage and translationPlaces (tea rooms, homeland)
Legacy
Ronald Phillip Tanaka was an important voice in Japanese-American poetry, leaving influence both as a poet and scholar. As a teacher at Sacramento State he impacted many students and contributed to regional literature through anthologies and local arts support.
Archives
- California State University, Sacramento archives (possible holding of related materials)
In Popular Culture
- Included in Japanese-American poetry anthologies and featured in regional poetry readings
Trivia
- Born in 1944 at the Poston War Relocation Center (one of the few writers born in an internment camp).
- Represented a Sansei (third-generation Japanese-American) perspective in his poetry.
- Taught English at California State University, Sacramento.
- Won the 1982 American Book Award for The Shino Suite.