John Keene (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Keene
|
|
|---|---|
Keene in 2022
|
|
| Born | 1965 (age 59–60) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Alma mater |
|
John R. Keene Jr. (born 1965) is an American writer, translator, professor, and artist. He is known for his unique and powerful writing. In 2018, he received a MacArthur Fellowship, often called a "genius grant." His 2022 poetry collection, Punks: New & Selected Poems, won the very important National Book Award for Poetry.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Keene was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up in the city and in a nearby town called Webster Groves. He was a good student and went to the Saint Louis Priory School.
For college, Keene attended Harvard University. There, he studied and was also involved in student theater. After Harvard, he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University.
Keene was also part of the Dark Room Collective. This was a group of writers of color who supported each other and helped share their work with more people.
Teaching Career
Keene has shared his knowledge with many students. He worked as a professor at Northwestern University in Illinois. Today, he is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University-Newark. At Rutgers, he leads the African American and African Studies department. He also teaches creative writing to students who want to become authors.
He has also taught at other top schools like Brown University and NYU.
Famous Written Works
Keene is famous for writing in new and exciting ways. His books often explore history from different points of view.
Annotations and Seismosis
His first novel, Annotations, was published in 1995. It was called an "experimental text." This means it didn't follow the usual rules of storytelling. Critics praised it for pointing fiction in a new direction.
In 2006, he published a book of poems called Seismosis. The book featured his poetry alongside artwork by Christopher Stackhouse.
Counternarratives
In 2015, Keene released a collection of short stories called Counternarratives. The book was a huge success. It tells stories from history, but often from the perspective of people whose voices are not usually heard.
One reviewer called the book "suspenseful, thought provoking, mystical, and haunting." Another said it was an "extraordinary work of literature."
Counternarratives won several awards, including an American Book Award in 2016. When it was published in the United Kingdom, it also won a special award for its publisher, Fitzcarraldo Editions. The judges called it "a once in a generation achievement."
Translation and Art
Besides writing his own books, Keene is also a talented translator. A translator's job is to rewrite books from one language into another. He has translated works by authors from Brazil, France, and other countries.
In 2014, he translated a book by Brazilian writer Hilda Hilst called Letters from a .... His work helps English-speaking readers enjoy books from around the world.
Keene is also an artist. He has created art projects that are shown in galleries. One of his projects was called the "Emotional Outreach Project."
Major Awards and Honors
John Keene has won many awards for his writing. These awards recognize him as one of the most important writers of our time.
- Whiting Award (2005) - An award for promising new writers.
- American Book Award (2016) - For his book Counternarratives.
- Lannan Literary Award for Fiction (2016) - A major prize for his fiction writing.
- Windham–Campbell Literature Prize (2018) - A global award that celebrates writers.
- MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship (2018) - A prestigious grant given to talented people in many fields.
- National Book Award for Poetry (2022) - One of the highest honors for an American poet.
- Lambda Literary Award (2022) - An award celebrating literature.
