Mark Strand facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Strand
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Strand at Georgetown University, 2012
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| Born | April 11, 1934 Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada |
| Died | November 29, 2014 (aged 80) Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American, Canadian |
| Education | Antioch College; Iowa Writers' Workshop |
Mark Strand (born April 11, 1934 – died November 29, 2014) was a famous Canadian-born American poet. He also wrote essays and worked as a translator.
Mark Strand was chosen as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1990. This is a special honor given to a poet who helps share poetry with the country. He also won the Wallace Stevens Award in 2004. From 2005 until he passed away in 2014, Strand taught English and literature at Columbia University.
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Mark Strand's Life Story
Mark Strand was born in 1934 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He grew up in a family that was not very religious. As a child, he lived in North and South America.
He finished high school at Oakwood Friends School in 1951. Later, he earned his first college degree from Antioch College in Ohio in 1957. He then studied painting at Yale University, getting another degree in 1959.
Mark Strand loved learning. He studied Italian poetry in Florence, Italy, in 1960–61. He also attended the famous Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, where he earned a master's degree in 1962. In 1965, he spent a year in Brazil as a special lecturer.
In 1981, Strand became a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters. This group honors top artists, writers, and composers. He was the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1990 to 1991.
Later, he taught at the University of Chicago and then at Columbia University in New York City. He taught literature and creative writing there until his death.
Mark Strand received many important awards for his work. These included a MacArthur Fellowship in 1987. He also won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1999 for his book Blizzard of One.
Mark Strand passed away on November 29, 2014, in Brooklyn, New York. He died from a type of cancer called liposarcoma.
Mark Strand's Poetry Style
Many of Mark Strand's poems have a feeling of nostalgia. This means they remind people of happy memories from the past. He often wrote about the bays, fields, boats, and pine trees from his childhood in Prince Edward Island.
His poems sometimes use surrealism. This is a style that mixes real things with dream-like or strange images. He admired artists like Max Ernst and René Magritte, who also used surrealism in their art.
Strand's poems are known for using simple and clear language. They usually do not rhyme or follow a strict rhythm. He once said that his poems were part of a new style. This style used plain words, surreal ideas, and strong storytelling.
Mark Strand's Teaching Career
Mark Strand taught at many different colleges and universities throughout his life. He shared his knowledge of English and creative writing with students.
Teaching Positions
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, 1962–1965
- University of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, 1965–1966
- Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, 1967
- Columbia University, New York City, 1969–1972 and 2005–2014
- Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, New York City, 1970–1972
- University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 1981–1993
- Johns Hopkins University, 1994–c. 1998
- University of Chicago, 1998 – ca. 2005
Visiting Professor Roles
Mark Strand also taught as a visiting professor at several other universities for shorter periods:
- University of Washington, 1968, 1970
- Yale University, 1969–1970
- Harvard University, 1980
Awards and Honors
Mark Strand received many important awards for his poetry and writing:
- 1960–1961: Fulbright Fellowship
- 1979: Fellowship of the Academy of American Poets
- 1987: MacArthur Fellowship
- 1990–1991: Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress
- 1992: Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry
- 1993: Bollingen Prize
- 1999: Pulitzer Prize, for Blizzard of One
- 2004: Wallace Stevens Award
- 2009: Gold Medal in Poetry, from the American Academy of Arts and Letters
See also
In Spanish: Mark Strand para niños
