Adrian Matejka facts for kids

Adrian Matejka is a talented American poet and writer. He is known for his books like The Devil's Garden and Mixology. His most famous book, The Big Smoke, won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. It was also considered for two other major awards: the National Book Award for Poetry and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Adrian Matejka was the Indiana State Poet Laureate for 2018 and 2019. Since May 2022, he has been the editor of Poetry magazine, which is a very important job in the world of poetry.

Life

Adrian Matejka was born in Nuremberg, Germany. His family was serving in the U.S. military there at the time. He grew up mostly in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States.

He went to college at Indiana University Bloomington and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He earned a special degree called an MFA in Creative Writing. This degree helps writers become even better at their craft.

Adrian Matejka has received special awards and support from important groups. These include the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. These awards help writers focus on their work.

He has written several books of poems. These include The Devil's Garden and Mixology. His third book, The Big Smoke, is about a famous boxer named Jack Johnson. This book was very popular! It was a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award and the 2014 Pulitzer Prize. It also won an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award. His newest book, Map to the Stars, came out in 2017.

Adrian Matejka's poems have appeared in many different literary magazines. These include The American Poetry Review and Poetry. His work has also been included in collections of poems by many different writers.

He teaches literature and creative writing at Indiana University. He was also the Indiana State Poet Laureate for 2018 and 2019. This means he was the official poet for the state of Indiana during those years. In 2022, he became the editor of Poetry magazine.

Honors and Awards

Adrian Matejka has received many awards for his writing:

• 2002 New York / New England Award
• 2008 National Poetry Series
• 2009 Illinois Arts Council
• 2011 Lannan Foundation Residency Fellowship
• 2013 National Book Award, Finalist
• 2014 Anisfield-Wolf Award
• 2014 Guggenheim Fellowship
• 2014 Lannan Literary Fellowship
• 2014 Pulitzer Prize, Finalist
• 2015 United States Artists Simon Fellowship
• 2018 Bellagio Foundation Residency Fellowship
• 2019 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship
• 2019 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship

Published Works

Books of Poetry

• The Devil's Garden
• Mixology
• The Big Smoke
• Map to the Stars

Anthology Contributions

• All Green