Ilya Kaminsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ilya Kaminsky
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| Native name |
Ілля Камінський
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| Born | April 18, 1977 Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
| Language | English, Russian |
| Citizenship | American |
| Alma mater |
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| Genre | Poetry |
| Spouse | Katie Farris |
Ilya Kaminsky (born April 18, 1977) is a Ukrainian-American poet, translator, and professor. He is famous for his award-winning poetry books, Dancing in Odesa and Deaf Republic.
Kaminsky is hard of hearing, and his experiences often shape his writing. In 2019, the BBC named him one of "12 Artists who changed the world" for his powerful work.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to America
Ilya Kaminsky was born into a Jewish family in Odesa, a city that was then part of the Soviet Union but is now in Ukraine. When he was four years old, an illness called the mumps caused him to become hard of hearing.
As a teenager, he started writing poetry. In 1993, when Kaminsky was 16, his family was given permission to move to the United States. They settled in Rochester, New York. Just a year later, in 1994, he began writing poems in English, which was a new language for him.
Besides writing, Kaminsky has also used his skills to help people. He worked as a law clerk for groups that help immigrants and people who can't afford lawyers. He also volunteered to help children in the foster care system in Southern California. Today, he is a professor at Princeton University.
Famous Poetry Collections
Kaminsky is most famous for two books of poetry, which he wrote in English.
Dancing in Odesa (2004)
This was his first major poetry collection. The book is named after his hometown in Ukraine. It explores themes of memory, family, and what it's like to live between two cultures. The book won several awards and showed the world his unique style of writing.
Deaf Republic (2019)
This book tells a powerful story through poems. It's about a fictional town where the people pretend to be deaf to protest against an army that has taken over. The book was a huge success and was a finalist for the National Book Award. It explores ideas of silence, protest, and what it means to be a community.
Awards and Recognition
Ilya Kaminsky has received many honors for his poetry. His work is celebrated for its creativity and for exploring important human experiences.
- Major Awards: He won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Deaf Republic. The Anisfield-Wolf award is special because it's given to books that help people understand different cultures and fight against racism.
- Prestigious Fellowships: He has received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Academy of American Poets, which are given to support talented artists.
- International Fame: In 2019, the BBC included him on a list of "12 artists who changed the world."
His book Deaf Republic was named a "Best Book of the Year" by many famous publications, including NPR, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
Helping Other Writers
Kaminsky is passionate about bringing poetry from all over the world to American readers. He believes it's important to hear voices from different countries and cultures.
He has worked as an editor for magazines like Words Without Borders and Poetry International. He also edited the Ecco Anthology of International Poetry, a collection of poems from many different countries that is often used in schools.
Kaminsky also started a book series called Poets in the World. This series is dedicated to publishing poetry from places like Iraq, China, and South America, helping their stories reach a wider audience.
Other Writings
Kaminsky also writes essays. In 2018, he wrote a popular essay for The New York Times Magazine about his deafness and his first trip back to Odesa after many years. He often writes about art, life, and the work of other poets for major publications like The Guardian.
Selected Works
Here are some of Kaminsky's most important works.
Poetry Books
- Dancing in Odesa (2004)
- Deaf Republic (2019)
Essays
- Searching for a Lost Odesa -- and a Deaf Childhood in The New York Times Magazine
- Of Strangeness that Wakes Us, an essay about language and the poet Paul Celan.
Where to Read His Poems Online
- Poems from Deaf Republic in The New Yorker
- A selection of his poems on the Poetry magazine website.
- More poems on the Academy of American Poets website.
