Rita Dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rita Dove
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Dove in December 2017
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| Born | Rita Frances Dove August 28, 1952 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Education | Miami University (BA) University of Iowa (MFA) |
| Notable works | Thomas and Beulah The Darker Face of the Earth Sonata Mulattica Playlist for the Apocalypse |
| Notable awards | Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1987) United States Poet Laureate (1993–95) Poet Laureate of Virginia (2004–06) 1996 National Humanities Medal 2011 National Medal of Arts 2019 Wallace Stevens Award 2021 American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal 2022 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize 2022 Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry 2023 National Book Awards lifetime achievement medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters |
| Spouse |
Fred Viebahn
(m. 1979) |
| Children | 1 |
Rita Frances Dove (born August 28, 1952) is a famous American poet and essay writer. She made history as the first African American to become the United States Poet Laureate. This important job means she was the nation's official poet, from 1993 to 1995.
Rita Dove also won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1987. This is one of the highest awards a writer can receive. She also served as the Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2004 to 2006. Since 1989, she has been a professor at the University of Virginia. She teaches creative writing there.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio. Her father, Ray Dove, was one of the first African-American chemists in the U.S. tire industry. Her mother, Elvira Hord, loved reading and shared this passion with Rita.
In 1970, Rita Dove graduated from Buchtel High School. She was a Presidential Scholar, which is a special honor. She then went to Miami University and graduated with top honors in 1973. From 1974 to 1975, she studied in Germany on a Fulbright Scholarship. Later, she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1977.
A Career in Poetry
Rita Dove taught creative writing at Arizona State University from 1981 to 1989. In 1987, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. This award was for her book Thomas and Beulah.
Becoming Poet Laureate
In May 1993, Rita Dove was named the United States Poet Laureate. She held this position until 1995. At 40 years old, she was the youngest person to hold the job. She was also the first African American to be named Poet Laureate. She used her role to help more people learn about and enjoy poetry. For example, she brought writers together to explore African history through art.
Teaching and Leadership Roles
Since 1989, Rita Dove has been teaching at the University of Virginia. She is now the Henry Hoyns Professor of Creative Writing. She has also served on the boards of many important writing and academic groups. These include the Academy of American Poets and Phi Beta Kappa.
Writing for Newspapers
In 2000 and 2001, Dove wrote a weekly column called "Poet's Choice" for The Washington Post. In 2018, she became the poetry editor for The New York Times Magazine. She wrote many columns there, sharing new American poetry.
Famous Works and Collaborations
Rita Dove's writing covers many different topics. Her most famous work is Thomas and Beulah. This book of poems is based on the lives of her grandparents. She has published eleven books of poetry. She has also written a book of short stories, a collection of essays, and a novel. Her Collected Poems 1974–2004 was released in 2016.
Dove also wrote a play called The Darker Face of the Earth. It was first performed in 1996. She has worked with famous composers like John Williams and Tania Leon. She wrote poems for their musical pieces. For a special White House event in 1999, she read a poem at the Lincoln Memorial.
Her poetry collection Sonata Mulattica came out in 2009. It tells a long story with many characters, like a novel. Her latest poetry book, Playlist for the Apocalypse, was published in 2021. Critics have called it "among her best."
Editing an Anthology
In 2011, Rita Dove edited The Penguin Anthology of 20th-Century American Poetry. This book collected poems from many different writers. Some poets were left out because their publishers would not allow their work to be included. Rita Dove explained that she wanted the book to include a wide range of voices.
Her books have been translated into many languages. These include German, Chinese, Spanish, and French.
The "Rita Dove Poetry Award" was created in 2004. A documentary film about her, Rita Dove: An American Poet, came out in 2014.
Awards and Honors
Besides the Pulitzer Prize, Rita Dove has received many other awards. She has been given 29 honorary doctorates from universities like Harvard University and Yale University.
Some of her other major honors include:
- The Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement (1994)
- The National Humanities Medal from President Bill Clinton (1996)
- The National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama (2011)
- The Wallace Stevens Award (2019)
- The Gold Medal in Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2021)
- The Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize (2022)
- The Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry (2022)
- The National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (2023)
Her poem "Cozy Apologia" is even part of the GCSE English Literature exam in England and Wales.
In 2022, a special portrait of Rita Dove was put on display at the University of Virginia. She is also a member of several important academic groups, like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1991, she was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Rita Dove married Fred Viebahn, a writer from Germany, in 1979. They met in 1976 when they were both students at the University of Iowa. They lived in Oberlin, Ohio, for a few years and also spent time in Germany, Ireland, and Israel.
In 1981, they moved to Arizona. Their daughter, Aviva Dove-Viebahn, was born in 1983. Rita and Fred love ballroom dancing and have performed together. Since 1989, Rita Dove and her husband have lived in Charlottesville, Virginia.
See also
In Spanish: Rita Dove para niños
