Erica Hunt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Erica Hunt
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| Born | March 12, 1955 New York City, U.S. |
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| Education | San Francisco State University (BA) Bennington College (MFA) |
| Spouse | Marty Ehrlich |
| Parents | Thomas Edward Hunt Daphne Lindsey Hunt |
| Relatives | Fern Hunt (sister) |
Erica Hunt (born March 12, 1955) is an American poet, writer, teacher, and organizer. She was born in New York City. She is known for her unique style of poetry.
Erica Hunt was part of a group called "Language poets" when she lived in San Francisco. This was in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her work is also important for a new kind of black art that grew after the Civil Rights Movement. In the 1990s and 2000s, Hunt worked with groups that helped black communities. She was the leader of the 21st Century Foundation in Harlem from 1999 to 2010. Today, she writes and teaches at Wesleyan University.
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Erica Hunt's Early Life and Education
Erica Hunt grew up in Manhattan, New York. Her parents worked hard. Her father, Thomas Edward Hunt, delivered mail and worked for the city's transportation system. Her mother, Daphne Lindsey Hunt, was blind and worked as a typist for New York City.
Erica's older sister, Fern Hunt, is a mathematician. She earned a special degree in math in 1978. She now works at a national science and technology institute. Erica once said that her family was good at watching people and understanding different ways of speaking. This helped them to survive and adapt.
In 1980, Hunt earned a bachelor's degree in English from San Francisco State University. There, she learned about poetry from teachers like Kathleen Fraser. Later, in 2013, she earned another advanced degree from Bennington College.
Her Work in Poetry and Community
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Erica Hunt was very active in the poetry scene in the Bay Area. She was part of the "Language poets" group. They would read their poems at a coffeehouse in San Francisco. She read her poems there several times.
In 1981, Hunt moved back to New York City. She brought with her the energy for public talks about poetry. From 1985 to 1999, she worked for the New World Foundation. This group supported social justice projects across the country.
After returning to New York, Hunt became interested in avant-garde jazz music. She even thought about writing about music. This is where she met her husband, Marty Ehrlich, a saxophonist, in 1983.
In the late 1980s, Hunt helped lead the Segue Foundation. This arts group published poetry books and supported artists. They also helped fund art programs in prisons. One big project was restoring an old building in New York City. Erica Hunt, along with filmmakers and a dancer, turned it into a living and working space for artists. This project was finished in 1988. It provided space for artists until 2002.
Erica Hunt's Poetic Works
When Erica Hunt lived in the Bay Area, she often went to poetry readings. She met many writers linked to the "Language poetry" style. Some of her poems were even included in a famous Language poetry book called In the American Tree.
Her most famous work is Arcade (1996). She created this book with the artist Alison Saar. It explores ideas like how women see themselves, how race is shown in the media, and themes of love and city life. Her other books include Local History (1993) and Piece Logic (2002). She has also written for many literary magazines.
Erica Hunt's poetry often deals with important political ideas. She believes that poetry can help us think about society. She writes that poetry should make us think about how to build a society that is free, fair, and democratic. She wants her poems to help us imagine a better world.
Awards and Fellowships
Erica Hunt has received several awards and special opportunities for her work.
- 2005–06: She was a Fellow in Poetics & Poetic Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
- 2004–05: She received a fellowship from Duke University and the University of Cape Town.
- 2001: She won a Grants to Artists award from the Foundation for Contemporary Art.
- 1993: She received support from The Fund for Poetry.
- 1992: She was a Fellow at the Blue Mountain Center.
- 1984: She was a Fellow at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program.
