Rae Armantrout facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rae Armantrout
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Rae Armantrout in 2014
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| Born | April 13, 1947 |
| Education | San Diego State University University of California, Berkeley (BA) |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Awards | 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship |
Rae Armantrout, born on April 13, 1947, is an American poet. She is known for her unique style of writing. She has published more than two dozen books. These books include both poetry and prose.
Her book Versed won the 2009 National Book Critics Circle Award. This book was also nominated for the National Book Award. Versed later received the famous 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
Rae Armantrout used to teach poetry at the University of California, San Diego. She was a Professor of Poetry and Poetics there. She is now retired from teaching.
Early Life and Education
Rae Armantrout was born in Vallejo, California. She grew up as an only child. Her family lived in military communities. These were mostly on naval bases in San Diego.
In 1965, she went to San Diego State University. She first planned to study anthropology. Later, she changed her focus to English and American literature. She then studied at the University of California, Berkeley.
At Berkeley, she learned from the poet Denise Levertov. She also became friends with Ron Silliman. This friendship was important for both poets. They became part of a group called the "Language poets."
Writing Career and Awards
Rae Armantrout started publishing her poems in the early 1970s. This is when she began to see herself as a poet. She earned a master's degree in creative writing. Her first book of poetry, Extremities, came out in 1978.
Her poems have appeared in many collections. These collections are called anthologies. Some of them include Postmodern American Poetry: A Norton Anthology and The Oxford Book of American Poetry. Her work has also been featured several times in The Best American Poetry series.
Armantrout has received many awards for her writing. She got a Fund For Poetry Grant more than once. In 1989, she received a California Arts Council Fellowship. She also won a Grants to Artists Award in 2007. In 2008, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Her book Wobble, published in 2018, was a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry.
Poetry Style
Rae Armantrout was part of the original West Coast Language group. This group of poets had a special way of writing. Her poems often focus on everyday life and things around her home.
Some people think she is the most "lyrical" of the Language Poets. This means her poems often have a musical or song-like quality.
Armantrout says that poet William Carlos Williams helped her learn about "the line" in poetry. She learned that breaking lines in certain ways can create suspense. It can also make meanings a bit unclear at first.
Her poems are often built in sections or stanzas. She writes both prose poetry and more traditional poems. Prose poetry looks like paragraphs but is still poetry. She often writes prose poems when she hears a "conventional narrator" in her head.
Personal Life
Rae Armantrout graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1970. She married Chuck Korkegian in 1971. They had been dating since her first year at the university. Rae Armantrout now lives in the Seattle area.
