Rachel Eliza Griffiths facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rachel Eliza Griffiths
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Griffiths at the 2023 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | 6 December 1978 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Education | University of Delaware Sarah Lawrence College (MFA) |
| Occupation | Poet, novelist, photographer and visual artist |
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Rachel Eliza Griffiths, also known as Lady Rushdie, is an American artist born on December 6, 1978. She is a talented poet, novelist, photographer, and visual artist. She has written five collections of poems. Her book Seeing the Body (2020) combines poetry with her photographs. This book explores memories, the experiences of Black women, the American landscape, and new beginnings. It was even nominated for a special award, the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry, in 2021.
Contents
About Rachel Eliza Griffiths
Rachel Eliza Griffiths grew up in Washington, D.C.. She was the oldest of four children. Her father was a lawyer who focused on environmental issues. Her mother was a community organizer and used to be a police officer.
Rachel Eliza Griffiths went to St. Mark's High School. She then studied at the University of Delaware. There, she earned her first college degree and a master's degree. Later, she earned another master's degree in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She has also received special support and awards from many art and writing organizations.
Her Published Works
Rachel Eliza Griffiths's writings have appeared in many well-known magazines and journals. These include The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and The New York Times. In 2011, she was featured in the first poetry issue of Oprah Winfrey's O Magazine.
She also created a video series called "Poets on Poetry (P.O.P)". In this series, modern poets talk about how poetry connects to people's lives and culture.
Rachel Eliza Griffiths enjoys working in different art forms. She once said that she likes how each type of art lets her explore ideas in new ways. She can take an idea, a word, or an image and develop it across different creative forms.
Her Poetry Books
Rachel Eliza Griffiths has written five collections of poems:
- Miracle Arrhythmia (2010)
- The Requited Distance (2011)
- Mule & Pear (2011)
- Lighting the Shadow (2015)
- Seeing the Body (2020)
Her book Mule & Pear won the first Poetry Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association in 2012. Lighting the Shadow was a finalist for two awards in 2015 and 2016.
Seeing the Body
Her 2020 book, Seeing the Body, is very special. In this book, Rachel Eliza Griffiths uses both poetry and photography. She tells the story of her mother's death in 2014. One magazine, Guernica, said the book powerfully combines poetry and photos. It gives readers an experience that is both visually and emotionally strong.
Seeing the Body was chosen as one of NPR's Best Books of 2020. It was also nominated for the 2021 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry. The book won the 2021 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Poetry. It also won the 2021 Paterson Poetry Prize.
Other Contributions
Rachel Eliza Griffiths's work has been included in several important collections of poetry. These include Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry (2009) and New Daughters of Africa (2019). Her poems also appeared in The Best American Poetry 2021.
In 2020, she was chosen as the poet-in-residence at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. This means she worked there as a special guest poet. In February 2021, she was a guest editor for the Poem-a-Day project by the Academy of American Poets.
Her First Novel
In 2023, Rachel Eliza Griffiths published her first novel, Promise. It was released by Random House in the US and John Murray in the UK. Kirkus Reviews called it a "stunning and evocative portrait of love, pride, and survival." A reviewer from The Times said Promise was "by turns enchanting and enraging."
Personal Life
As of 2021, Rachel Eliza Griffiths lives in New York City. In 2021, she married Sir Salman Rushdie. He is a famous novelist from India and Britain.
