James Tate (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Tate
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Tate (left) at the Grolier Poetry Bookshop in 1965 with the owner, Gordon Cairnie
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| Born | James Vincent Tate December 8, 1943 Kansas City, Missouri, US |
| Died | July 8, 2015 (aged 71) Amherst, Massachusetts, US |
| Occupation | Poet, professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| Notable works | Worshipful Company of Fletchers |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize 1992 National Book Award 1994 |
James Vincent Tate (born December 8, 1943 – died July 8, 2015) was an American poet. He was known for his unique and often funny writing style. His amazing work earned him two very important awards: the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Tate also taught English at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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About James Tate's Life
James Tate was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up there with his mother and his grandparents. His father was a pilot in World War II and sadly died in combat when James was less than a year old. When James was seven, his mother remarried, and they moved out of his grandparents' house.
High School and College Days
When he was in high school, Tate said he was part of a gang and wasn't very interested in books or writing. He even thought about becoming a gas station attendant, like his uncle. But then, he saw his friends going to college, which surprised him. So, in 1961, he decided to apply to Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University).
Just a few months into college, Tate wrote his very first poem. He said it felt like a special, private place where he could explore his thoughts and feelings in a hidden way. He knew right away that he never wanted to write directly about his own life. In college, he discovered poets like Wallace Stevens and William Carlos Williams and loved their work. He earned his first degree in 1965.
Becoming a Poet
After college, Tate went to the famous University of Iowa's Writer's Workshop to get his master's degree. This was a big step because he finally met other poets. He became very interested in a style called Surrealism, which is about dreams and imagination. He read poets like Max Jacob and André Breton. He especially liked Benjamin Péret. Among Spanish poets, César Vallejo deeply affected him, but he wasn't as drawn to the romantic style of Pablo Neruda or Federico García Lorca.
James Tate was married to Dara Wier, who was also a poet. He passed away on July 8, 2015, when he was 71 years old.
James Tate's Career and Writing Style
James Tate taught creative writing at several universities. These included the University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He taught at the University of Massachusetts from 1971 until he died in 2015. He was part of the poetry teaching team there, working with other poets like Dara Wier and Peter Gizzi.
First Books and Major Awards
While he was still a student, Tate's first book of poems, The Lost Pilot (published in 1967), was chosen for the Yale Series of Younger Poets. This was a big honor! The person who chose it, Dudley Fitts, praised Tate's writing for being naturally graceful. Tate's very first collection of poems, Cages, was published in 1966.
Tate won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992 for his Selected Poems. He also won the William Carlos Williams Award in 1991 for the same book. In 1994, he received the National Book Award for his poetry collection called Worshipful Company of Fletchers. These awards show how important and well-loved his poetry was.
His Unique Writing Style
People often describe James Tate's writing as surreal, funny, and sometimes a bit silly or "absurdist." Surrealism means it's like a dream, often mixing strange or impossible things together. His work has impressed many other poets.
Tate once said about his own writing, "My characters usually are... in trouble, and they’re trying to find some kind of life." This means his poems often feature characters who are facing challenges and trying to figure things out. Poet Tony Hoagland noted that Tate's later work, especially his prose poems, showed characters who were "spinning through life, inquisitive and clueless," trying to understand the world around them.
Besides his many poetry books, Tate also wrote two books of prose (which is like regular writing, not poetry): Dreams of a Robot Dancing Bee (2001) and The Route as Briefed (1999).
Other Recognitions
James Tate received many other honors during his career. He got an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Wallace Stevens Award, and special grants from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. He was also a leader (Chancellor) at the Academy of American Poets.
Published Works
James Tate wrote many books of poetry and some prose. Here are some of his most well-known works:
Tate's originality was confirmed almost thirty years ago when his book The Lost Pilot won the Yale Younger Poets Award....More recently, his books have gained him the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, testifying to the broad appeal of his wonderfully eccentric and generous poetry.
- The Lost Pilot (1967)
- Absences: New Poems (1972)
- Viper Jazz (1976)
- Constant Defender (1983)
- Selected Poems (1991) — This book won the Pulitzer Prize and the William Carlos Williams Award.
- Worshipful Company of Fletchers: Poems (1994) — This book won the National Book Award.
- Shroud of the Gnome (1997)
- Memoir of the Hawk (2002)
- Return to the City of White Donkeys (2004)
- The Ghost Soldiers (2008)
- The Eternal Ones of the Dream: Selected Poems 1990–2010 (2012)
- Dome of the Hidden Pavilion (2015)
- The Government Lake: Last Poems (2019)
He also wrote shorter poetry collections called chapbooks, and some prose books like Dreams of a Robot Dancing Bee: 44 Stories (2002). His poems were also included in many collections of the best American poetry over the years.
The James Tate International Poetry Prize
To honor James Tate, an international poetry award was created. It's called the James Tate International Poetry Prize. It has been given out every year since 2018 by the surrealist poetry magazine SurVision.
See also
In Spanish: James Tate para niños
