Charles Wright (poet) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Wright
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| Born | August 25, 1935 Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Education | Davidson College (BA) University of Iowa (MFA) |
| Genre | Poetry |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for poetry; National Book Award for Poetry |
| Spouse | Holly McIntire |
Charles Wright (born August 25, 1935) is a famous American poet. He won important awards like the National Book Award in 1983 and the Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for his poetry books. From 2014 to 2015, he was the official Poet Laureate of the United States. This means he was recognized as one of the country's most important poets.
Early Life and Learning
Charles Wright was born in Pickwick Dam, Tennessee. He went to Christ School (North Carolina) for his last two years of high school. There, he helped coach football and was a class leader. He loved reading and read all the books by William Faulkner.
After high school, he went to Davidson College. He earned a degree in history in 1957. Later, he got a master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1963. He also studied in Italy as a Fulbright Scholar.
Teaching Career
From 1966 to 1983, Charles Wright taught at the University of California, Irvine. He then moved to the University of Virginia in 1983. He taught there until he retired in 2010. He was also a special professor of English at the University of Virginia.
Becoming a Poet
Wright started writing poetry when he was in the army. He served in Italy from 1957 to 1961. On June 12, 2014, he was named the Poet Laureate of the United States. He held this important role until May 2015.
His Books
Charles Wright has written many poetry books. Some of his award-winning books are Country Music (1982) and Black Zodiac (1997). Other well-known books include Chickamauga, Buffalo Yoga, and Negative Blue. His poems have also appeared in online journals.
He has also written two books of criticism. These books are called Halflife and Quarter Notes.
Awards and Recognition
Charles Wright has received many honors for his work. In 1979, he won the PEN Translation Prize. This was for his translation of poems by Eugenio Montale.
In 1993, he received the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. This award recognized his achievements in poetry over his lifetime. He also won the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize in 1996 for his collection Chickamauga. His book Black Zodiac won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1998.
