Carolyn Kizer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carolyn Kizer
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| Born | Carolyn Ashley Kizer December 10, 1925 Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | October 9, 2014 (aged 88) Sonoma, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Language | English, Chinese, Urdu |
| Education | |
| Period | 1961–2001 |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize |
| Spouse | Charles Stimson Bullitt (1946–1954, divorced) John Marshall Woodbridge |
| Children | 3 (including Jill Bullitt) |
Carolyn Ashley Kizer (December 10, 1925 – October 9, 2014) was an American poet. She was known for her strong poems that often shared ideas about feminism. Feminism is about believing in equal rights and opportunities for everyone, no matter their gender. Carolyn Kizer won the famous Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for her poetry. Her works explored many topics, like old myths, politics, science, and even different cultures like Japanese and Chinese literature.
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Carolyn Kizer's Early Life
Carolyn Kizer was born in Spokane, Washington. Her family was well-known in the community. Her father, Benjamin Hamilton Kizer, was a successful lawyer. Her mother, Mabel Ashley Kizer, was a biology professor. She had earned her advanced degree from Stanford University.
Carolyn once described her father as very intelligent and polite. However, he could also be quite strict and serious. She remembered him using a very firm voice. He used this voice with her and later with important groups like the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Education and Family
After finishing high school in Spokane, Carolyn went to college. She earned her bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1945. There, she studied different mythologies. She also did graduate studies at Columbia University and the University of Washington.
In 1946, she married Charles Stimson Bullitt. He was a lawyer from a wealthy family in Seattle. They had three children together: Fred Nemo, Jill Bullitt, and Ashley Bullitt. His mother, Dorothy Bullitt, was very influential. She started the Bullitt Foundation and the King Broadcasting Company.
In 1954, Carolyn joined a writing workshop. It was led by the poet Theodore Roethke. She had already published a poem in The New Yorker when she was 17. But Roethke encouraged her to take her writing even more seriously. Her marriage to Bullitt ended in 1954.
Career and Contributions
In 1959, Carolyn helped start a magazine called Poetry Northwest. She worked as its editor until 1965.
From 1965 to 1966, she worked for the U.S. State Department in Pakistan. She was a "Specialist in Literature." During this time, she taught for several months in Pakistan.
In 1966, she became the first director of Literary Programs. This was for the new National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The NEA is a U.S. government agency. It supports art projects and organizations. She left this job in 1970.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Carolyn taught poetry at many universities. These included Columbia University, Stanford University, and Princeton University. She also visited many literary events and conferences. She taught in places like Dublin, Ireland, and Paris. She was also a teacher at the famous Iowa Writer's Workshop.
In 1995, she was chosen to be a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. This is a high honor. However, she resigned three years later. She did this to protest that there were not enough women and minority writers on the board.
Carolyn Kizer was married to John Marshall Woodbridge. He was an architect and historian. When she wasn't teaching, she split her time. She lived between their home in Sonoma, California, and their apartment in Paris.
She passed away on October 9, 2014, in Sonoma, California. She was 88 years old.
Awards and Recognition
Carolyn Kizer received many important awards for her poetry.
- Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1985), for her book Yin
- Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize (1988)
- Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Award of Honor from the San Francisco Arts Commission
- Borestone Award (six times)
- Pushcart Prize (three times)
- Frost Medal
- John Masefield Memorial Award
- Governor's Award for the best book of the year, State of Washington (1965, 1985)
