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LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS Literature Fellowships T …
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LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
Literature Fellowships
T
he National Endowment for the Arts has provided direct support to literary writers since awarding its first
grants in 1966. In 1967, at the encouragement of National Council on the Arts members Ralph Ellison,
Paul Engle, Harper Lee, and John Steinbeck, a formal program was initiated to support creative writers.
Twenty-three grants were awarded that first year, including grants to poet Mona van Duyn, a future U.S. Poet
Laureate, and fiction writer Isaac Bashevis Singer, a future Nobel Laureate.
For many Literature Fellows, NEA support is crucial to affirming their vocation as a writer. Writer Julia Alvarez, who
received an NEA Literature award in 1987, said, "Every year I'd send off my application for an NEA grant, hoping
that this would be the year my work was recognized. When I got my NEA grant, I felt as if I was now included
among the storytellers and poets of my new country!"
Although artistic merit always has been at the heart of the fellowship awards, today it is the sole basis on which
the grants are given. Over several months, a diverse panel of readers, comprised of distinguished American writers
and one knowledgeable layperson, read through the blind submissions. All applicants must be U.S. citizens.
Panelists do not know the identities of the writers, their publishing histories, academic achievements, or previous
awards. The highest ranked applications are recommended to the National Council on the Arts and the NEA
Chairman as meriting an individual writing fellowship.
128 N AT I O N A L E N D OW M E N T F O R T H E A R T S
LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
Overall, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded $40 million through its Literature Fellowships to more
than 2,750 writers and translators. The record of the Literature Fellowships program shows unparalleled support for
writers at critical, early stages of their careers; many have gone on to win major awards 10 to 20 years after
receiving Arts Endowment support. NEA Literature Fellows include 20 U.S. Poets Laureate and have garnered six
National Medal of Arts, five National Humanities Medals, 91 American Book Awards, 45 National Book Awards, and
41 Pulitzer Prizes.
This year's Literature Fellowships are for Poetry (Prose and Poetry fellowships are given in alternate years). Of the
1,590 applications received, 45 writers from 22 states and one living abroad were awarded $20,000 grants,
totaling $900,000.
In addition to the creative writing fellowships, each year Literature Fellowships are awarded for translation of
literary works written in foreign languages into English (alternating between prose and poetry to coincide with the
creative writing fellowships). Unlike the creative writing fellowships, translation fellowships are awarded for
specific projects. The art of literary translation facilitates the international exchange of fiction, poetry, and drama
among cultures. Without translation, most Americans would not be able to enjoy Ovid, Anna Akhmatova,
Marguerite Duras, or Orhan Pamuk. In 2005, 49 applications for Translation in Poetry grants were received, of
which 14 translators in 10 states and one living abroad were awarded grants totaling $200,000. Grants to
translators are awarded in grants of either $10,000 or $20,000, depending on the translation project.
CREATIVE WRITING American Literature at the Université James Daniels is the head of the
Jean-Monnet. Creative Writing Department at
FELLOWSHIPS--POETRY:
Carnegie Mellon University. His
(all grants are $20,000) Allen Braden of Puyallup,
books include M-80 and Blessing This
Washington, has published poetry
Mary Adams is an associate House. He also edited the anthology
and prose in The Southern Review,
professor of Writing at Western Letters to America: Contemporary
The Georgia Review, and Shenandoah.
Carolina University. Her book, American Poetry on Race.
He has also received an Artist
Epistles from the Planet Trust/Washington State Arts Jon Davis, Creative Writing Chair at
Photosynthesis, was published by the Commission Fellowship in Literary the Institute of American Indian
University Press of Florida. Arts. Arts, is the author of the
David Baker is the author or editor screenplays Gift of the Condor and
Cyrus Cassells has won a Lannan
of ten books. He holds the Thomas Catamount Falls, and a play, Anna
Literary Award, a William Carlos
B. Fordham Chair of English at Without Angels. His poems have
Williams Award, a Pushcart Prize,
Denison University and serves as appeared in Luna and American
and a Lambda Literary Award. He is
Poetry Editor of The Kenyon Review. Letters & Commentary.
the author of four books of poetry.
Michael Blumenthal is the author Sally Dawidoff's poetry has
Robert Cording has published four
of six books of poetry, most recently, appeared in several literary journals
books of poetry, most recently
Dusty Angel. Formerly Director of including Agni and Boston Review.
Against Consolation. He teaches at
Creative Writing at Harvard, he is She currently teaches a poetry
Holy Cross College in Worcester,
currently a visiting professor of workshop at the City University of
Massachusetts.
New York.
2005 ANNUAL REPORT 129
LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
Ramola D holds an MFA in Poetry Prize for Poetry, and Guggenheim Tyehimba Jess's first book of
from George Mason University, and Fellowship. poetry, leadbelly, was a winner of
an MBA and a BS in Physics from the 2004 National Poetry Series.
Greg Glazner is a professor at the
the University of Madras, India. Her Recognized as one of 2005's
College of Santa Fe in New Mexico.
poetry has been twice nominated for eighteen debut poets to watch by
He is the author of two books of
Pushcart Prizes and appeared in Best Poets and Writers, he teaches at the
poetry, Singularity and From the Iron
American Poetry 1994. University of Illinois Urbana-
Chair, which won the 1991 Walt
Champaign.
Matthew Donovan received his MFA Whitman Award.
from New York University. The 2003 Kimberly Johnson holds graduate
James Harms is the author of five
recipient of Vassar College's W. K. degrees from Johns Hopkins, the
collections of poetry from Carnegie
Rose Fellowship in the Arts, he is Iowa Writers' Workshop, and the
Mellon University Press. He also
currently an assistant professor of University of California-Berkeley.
directs the MFA Program in Creative
Literature and Creative Writing at Her work has appeared recently in
Writing at West Virginia University.
the College of Santa Fe. The New Yorker, The Southern Review,
Terrance Hayes has won the and Arion. She lives in Salt Lake
B. H. Fairchild is the author of four
Whiting Writers Award, the Kate City.
books of poems. He is the recipient
Tufts Discovery Award, a National
of Guggenheim and Rockefeller Laura Kasischke is the author of
Poetry Series award, a Pushcart
Fellowships, the National Book three previous books of poetry, Wild
Prize, and a Best American Poetry
Critics Circle Award, and the Bobbitt Brides, Housekeeping in a Dream, and
selection. He teaches at Carnegie
National Prize for Poetry. Fire & Flower, in addition to three
Mellon University.
novels. She lives in Chelsea,
Marlon Fick is an assistant professor
Grey Held was nominated for a Michigan.
of English at Kansas State
Pushcart Prize in 2002. His poems
University. He has translated the Sarah Kennedy is the author of four
have appeared in Slipstream, Sahara,
work of 20 Mexican poets for the books of poems. She is the Book
and the Brooklyn Review. He is the
anthology The River is Wide, and his Review Editor for Shenandoah and
senior industry analyst for a research
honors include the Conaculta Award. teaches at Mary Baldwin College in
firm.
Staunton, Virginia.
Kathleen Flenniken holds an MS
Jane Hirshfield's sixth book of
degree in Civil Engineering. Her James Kimbrell has been the
poetry, After, was published in 2006.
first collection, Famous, won the recipient of the Whiting Writers'
She has received Guggenheim and
2005 Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Award, the Ruth Lilly Fellowship, the
Rockefeller Fellowships as well as
Poetry. She lives in Seattle. "Discovery"/The Nation Award, a
the Academy of American Poets
Ford Foundation Fellowship, and has
Gregory Fraser currently teaches Fellowship for Distinguished Writing.
twice received the Academy of
creative writing at the University of
Cathy Hong has been awarded a Van American Poets Prize. His latest
West Georgia. A two-time finalist for
Lier Fellowship and a Pushcart Prize. book of poems is My Psychic.
the Walt Whitman Award, Fraser also
Her poetry has appeared in the
won the Walt McDonald Poetry Prize Karen An-hwei Lee's first book-
Columbia Journal, Field, McSweeney's,
for his first book, Strange Pietŕ. length collection, In Medias Res,
and Mudfish.
won the Kathryn A. Morton Prize
Alice Fulton is currently the Ann S.
John Isles is the author of ARK. He and the Norma Farber First Book
Bowers Professor of English at
has been awarded a Ruskin Art Club Award. She holds an MFA in Creative
Cornell University. Her most recent
prize from the Los Angeles Review, Writing and a doctorate in
book of poems was Cascade
and his work has appeared in Literature.
Experiment. She has received a
American Letters & Commentary,
Pushcart Prize, Bobbitt National
Boston Review, and Colorado Review.
130 N AT I O N A L E N D OW M E N T F O R T H E A R T S
LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
Alex Lemon is the assistant editor For fertility, a new bride is lifted to touch it with her left hand,
of Luna: A Journal of Poetry and or possibly kiss it.
Translation and teaches at The sound close in, my friend told me later, is almost silent.
Macalester College in St. Paul, At ten kilometers, even those who have never heard it know what it is.
Minnesota. His translations of
contemporary Chinese poets have If you stand near during thunder, she said,
appeared in Tin House and New you will hear a reply.
American Writing.
Six weeks and six days from the phone's small ringing,
Robert Hill Long helped found the replying was over.
North Carolina Writers' Network in
1984. His work has been She who cooked lamb and loved wine and wild mushroom pastas.
She who when I saw her last was silent as the great Zygmunt mostly is,
anthologized in Best American a ventilator's clapper between her dry lips.
Poetry, Flash Fiction, and The Best of
the Prose Poem. Because I could, I spoke. She laid her palm on my cheek to answer.
And soon again, to say it was time to leave.
Ted Mathys is the author of Forge.
His poems have appeared in Chelsea, I put my lips near the place a tube went into
Colorado Review, and Verse. Originally the back of one hand.
from Ohio, he currently lives in The kiss--as if it knew what I did not yet--both full and formal.
Manhattan.
As one would kiss the ring of a cardinal, or the rim
Jill McDonough has been a fellow of that cold iron bell, whose speech can mean "Great joy,"
at the Fine Arts Work Center and the or--equally--"The city is burning. Come."
Boston Athenaeum and teaches
writing in Massachusetts universities "THE BELL ZYGMUNT" BY JANE HIRSHFIELD
and prisons. Her poems have been from After (HarperCollins, 2006)
published in Poetry, Harvard Review, Used by permission of the author
and Slate.
Eric Pankey is the author of seven
collections of poetry, most recently
Spencer Reece is the recipient of Series of Younger Poets Prize and
Oracle Figures and Reliquaries. He
the Eighth Annual Levis Reading the Norma Farber First Book Award.
teaches in the MFA Program at
Prize for his collection of poetry The
George Mason University. Young Smith is an assistant
Clerk's Tale. He is an assistant
professor of English at Eastern
Kathleen Peirce's work has won her manager at Brooks Brothers in Palm
Kentucky University. His poems have
the AWP Award, the Iowa Prize, the Beach Gardens, Florida.
appeared in Poetry, Pleiades, and
William Carlos Williams Award, and a
Richard Siken won the Yale Series Crazyhorse.
fellowship from the Whiting
of Younger Poets Prize for his book
Foundation. She teaches in Texas Mark Smith-Soto received his
Crush. He is also the founder of the
State University's MFA Program. doctorate in Comparative Literature
literary magazine spork. He lives in
from the University of California at
Belle Randall is the author of One Tucson, Arizona.
Berkeley. His full-length collection,
Hundred and One Different Ways of
Sean Singer was born in Our Lives are Rivers, was published
Playing Solitaire. Her poems and
Guadalajara, Mexico, and currently in 2003.
essays have appeared in Poetry, The
lives in New York City. His first book
Threepenny Review, and TriQuarterly. Michael Teig earned his MFA in
Discography won the 2001 Yale
Creative Writing from the University
2005 ANNUAL REPORT 131
LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
of Massachusetts, where he studied John Balcom is an associate Review, Nimrod, Mid-American
with the late Agha Shahid Ali. He professor at the Monterey Institute. Review, and Manoa.
also founded the literary magazine His translations include Death of a
Jubilat. His book, Big Back Yard, Stone Cell by Lo Fu, The Four Seasons Marjolijn de Jager
won the 2002 A. Poulin Jr. Poetry by Xiang Yang, My Village by Wu Stamford, CT ˇ $10,000
Prize. Sheng, and Black and White by Lin To support the translation from
Hengtai. Dutch of The School by the Sea by
Jeffrey Thomson has published Huub Beursken (1950-). Beursken is
three collections, most recently The Wayne Cox
a painter, translator, critic, and
Country of Lost Sons. His work has Greenville, SC ˇ $10,000
writer. The School by the Sea, a
won the Academy of American Poets To support the translation from
recent work, shows the influence of
Prize on three occasions. He directs Catalan of selected poems by Miquel
American poet William Carlos
the MFA in Writing Program at Martí i Pol (1929-2003). Cox will
Williams and Beursken's interest in
Chatham College. collaborate with his wife, Lourdes
the visual arts.
Manyé i Martí. One of the most
Mark Wunderlich is the author of widely read poets in contemporary Born in Borneo, Indonesia, when the
Voluntary Servitude and The Catalan literature, Martí i Pol was nation was still a colony of The
Anchorage, which won the Lambda awarded the Gold Medal for Netherlands (the Dutch East Indies),
Literary Award. He is currently a Excellence in Fine Arts from the Marjolijn de Jager grew up with
professor of Literature at Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1992, Dutch as her first language. She
Bennington College in Vermont. and was nominated for the Nobel spent her adolescent years in
Kevin Young's work has appeared in Prize for literature in 2000. Amsterdam and immigrated to the
The New Yorker, The New York Times U.S. in 1958. She currently teaches
An associate professor at Anderson
Book Review, The Paris Review, and Dutch at New York University's
College, Wayne Cox translated
The Kenyon Review. He teaches at School of Continuing and
Vacation Notebook with his wife in
Emory University in Atlanta, Professional Studies.
1995. It remains the only volume of
Georgia. Martí i Pol's poetry available in Leonard Fox
English. Charleston, SC ˇ $20,000
To support the translation from
Aaron Crippen
TRANSLATION Houston, TX ˇ $10,000
Malagasy of Jean-Joseph
PROJECTS IN POETRY: Rabearivelo's Almost Dreams (1934),
To support the translation from
Translated from the Night (1935),
John J. Balcom Chinese of selected poems by Gu
and from French of his Old Songs
Monterey, CA ˇ $10,000 Cheng (1956-1993). Gu Cheng is one
from the Imerina Lands, a collection
To support the translation from of the most important voices to
of translations and adaptations of
Chinese of selected poems by Lo Fu. emerge from China's Cultural
traditional Malagasy oral poetry
Born in China's Hunan Province, Lo Revolution. He arrived on the
(published posthumously, 1939).
Fu served in the military during the literary scene during the Democracy
Considered the most important 20th-
Sino-Japanese War (1939-45), began Wall movement of 1979, publishing
century poet of Madagascar,
writing poetry in the 1940s, and in Communist China's first
Rabearivelo wrote in both Malagasy
moved to Taiwan in 1949. His 12 underground magazine, Today.
and French.
volumes of poetry have received Currently pursuing a PhD at the
major literary awards in Taiwan, Leonard Fox works as an independent
University of Houston, Aaron
including the China Times Literary translator for publishers and other
Crippen has published numerous
Award and the National Literary private clients throughout the U.S.
translations in such journals as
Award. His translations include Hainteny: The
Northwest Quarterly, Oklahoma
132 N AT I O N A L E N D OW M E N T F O R T H E A R T S
LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
Traditional Poetry of Madagascar, the Latin of Virgil's four-book Georgics. Martha Ann Selby
first study in English of Malagasy Virgil's Georgics, the second of his Cambridge, MA ˇ $20,000
traditional poetry. three poetic works, comprises 2,172 To support the retranslation from
lines of Latin hexameters on classical Tamil of Ainkurunuru, a
Kent L. Johnson farming. This project will add a new fourth-century anthology of love
Freeport, IL ˇ $10,000 translation in American English with poems. The Ainkurunuru contains the
To support the translation from the goal of reaching general readers work of five poets, each of whom
Spanish of The Night, a book-length interested in poetry and ancient composed 100 poems devoted to one
poem by Bolivian writer Jaime Saenz history, as well as gardening and of five "landscapes" of reciprocal
(1921-1986). Johnson will farming. love (jealous quarreling, tortured
collaborate with Forrest Gander. separation and lament, clandestine
Published in 1984, The Night was Janet Lembke is a writer, translator,
love, abject separation, and domestic
Saenz's last poem, composed of four and naturalist. Her translations
bliss). Only one complete translation
parts touching on the themes of include Euripides's Electra and
of the text has been published in
alcoholism, identity, and Bolivian Hecuba, Aeschylus's Persians and
English, and it is marred by
history. Suppliants, and Bronze and Iron: Old
inaccuracies and outdated usages.
Latin Poetry from Its Beginnings to
Kent Johnson currently teaches at 100 B.C. Martha Ann Selby is an associate
Highland Community College. His professor of Asian Studies at the
translations include Immanent Bill Porter (Red Pine) University of Texas at Austin. Her
Visitor: Selected Poems of Jaime Port Townsend, WA ˇ $10,000 previous translations include Grow
Saenz, published in 2002. To support the translation from Long, Blessed Night: Love Poems
classical Chinese of the poetry of from Classical India and A Circle of
Kerry Shawn Keys Wei Ying-wu. Born in 737, Wei Ying- Six Seasons: Old Tamil, Prakrit, and
Boiling Springs, PA ˇ $20,000 wu is recognized as one of the great Sanskrit Verse.
To support the translation from poets of the T'ang period, especially
Lithuanian of a book-length in terms of his ability to describe Andrew Shields
selection of poetry by Laurynas landscapes and natural settings, and Switzerland, FO ˇ $20,000
Katkus. In addition to newer pieces, to conjure the moods of seclusion To support the translation from
many of the poems included will be and serenity. This project renders French of selected poems by Jacques
from two previously untranslated into English about one-third (150- Réda. Born in Luneville, France, in
books, Voices, Notes (1998) and 200) of his surviving poems. 1929, Réda currently lives in Paris.
Diving Lessons (2003). This project includes poems from
Bill Porter, who writes under the
Kerry Shawn Keys is a widely nine volumes published since 1968.
pseudonym Red Pine, first began
published translator and author who No English volume of his work is
translating Chinese poetry in 1973,
divides his time between currently in print.
while living in a Buddhist monastery
Pennsylvania and Lithuania. He has in Taiwan. The author of numerous Since receiving his PhD in
published numerous books and translations, his most recent Comparative Literature from the
anthologies of both poetry and anthology of China's best-known University of Pennsylvania in 1995,
prose, and his work has appeared in T'ang and Sung poetry, Poems of the Andrew Shields has been an English
many American and international Masters, was published in 2003. Over language teacher in Switzerland. An
journals and magazines. the years, he has received many accomplished translator of both
honors for his work and has French and German, he has had his
Janet Lembke
produced more than one thousand work published in journals such as
Stauton, VA ˇ $20,000
radio programs about Chinese Poetry, Marlboro Review, and Grand
To support the retranslation from
culture. Street.
2005 ANNUAL REPORT 133
LITERATURE FELLOWSHIPS
Adam Sorkin Virlana Tkacz Virlana Tkacz is a translator, writer,
Havertown, PA ˇ $10,000 New York, NY ˇ $20,000 and theater director, and currently
To support the translation from To support the translation from serves as the artistic director of Yara
Romanian of Magda Cârneci's book Ukrainian of Serhiy Zhadan's two Arts Group, a resident company at La
of poems, Chaosmos. Born in 1955, most recent books of poetry. MaMa Experimental Theatre. With her
Cârneci is a widely respected poet, Tkacz will collaborate with Wanda long-time collaborator, Phipps, she
essayist, and art critic. Chaosmos Phipps. Born in 1974, Zhadan is one has translated Ukrainian poetry of
(combining chaos and cosmos) was of the most popular poets of the more than 20 poets, and they
originally published in 1992 and was post-independence generation in received the National Theatre
seen as a breakthrough work in its Ukraine. Translation Fund Award for their
introduction of elements of daily life translation of Lesia Ukrainka's verse
into poetic language. drama The Forest Song.
The green river water
Adam Sorkin is Distinguished
slows in warm bends
Professor of English at Pennsylvania
fish zeppelins
State University, Delaware County,
scatter the plankton
where he has taught since 1978. He
and tired bird catchers
has translated more than 135
attempt to catch
contemporary Romanian poets and
every word.
published 19 books.
Steven Stewart Hold on to
Reno, NV ˇ $10,000 the brightly colored rags and scotch tape
To support the translation from that bind the slashed wrists
Spanish of Angel Crespo's Poemas en of these heroic times.
Prosa 1965-1994. In the 1940s, One day you will turn off this radio,
Crespo co-founded the Postism you'll get used to her,
movement in Spain, which to her breathing
emphasized imaginative play on and, dressed in your T-shirt,
language, and has had far-reaching she'll bring you water in the middle of the night.
influence on contemporary Spanish
On the terrace the left-over cups of tea,
poetry.
are filling up with rain water
Steven Stewart teaches in the and cigarette butts,
English Department at the University you and I share a cold
of Nevada, Reno. He holds his PhD you and I share long conversations--
in Creative Writing from Florida you don't notice the morning rain
State University, and his translations you go to sleep late
have appeared in numerous journals and you wake up late
and magazines including Harper's, I write poems about how I love
Crazyhorse, and jubilat. His book of this woman and I invent
translations of the work of Rafael newer and newer words
Perez Estrada, Devoured by the Moon, to avoid
was recently published by Hanging telling her.
Loose Press.
"ALCOHOL" BY SERHIY ZHADAN
Translated from Ukrainian by Virlana Tkacz and Wanda Phipps
Used by permission of the author
134 N AT I O N A L E N D OW M E N T F O R T H E A R T S