Rita Dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rita Dove
|
|
|---|---|
Dove in December 2017
|
|
| Born | Rita Frances Dove August 28, 1952 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| 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 writer. She made history as the first African American to become the United States Poet Laureate. This important job means she was the official poet for the Library of Congress 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 was also the Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2004 to 2006. Since 1989, she has taught writing at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
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 that passion with Rita.
In 1970, Rita graduated from Buchtel High School as a top student. She then earned her bachelor's degree from Miami University in 1973. She also studied in Germany on a Fulbright Scholarship from 1974 to 1975. Later, she received her master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1977.
A Poet's Journey
Rita Dove started teaching creative writing at Arizona State University in 1981. She taught there until 1989. In 1987, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her book Thomas and Beulah.
Becoming Poet Laureate
In May 1993, Rita Dove was chosen as the United States Poet Laureate. She was the youngest person to hold this position at 40 years old. She was also the first African American to be named Poet Laureate. During her time, she worked to make poetry more popular and help people understand its importance. She even brought writers together to explore African history through art.
She also served as a special poetry consultant for the Library of Congress from 1999 to 2000. In 2004, she became the Poet Laureate of Virginia for two years.
Writing and Other Works
Rita Dove's writing covers many different topics. She uses precise language to capture complex feelings. Her most famous work, Thomas and Beulah, is a collection of poems based on her grandparents' lives.
She has published many books of poetry. She also wrote a book of short stories called Fifth Sunday (1985) and a novel, Through the Ivory Gate (1992). Her essays were collected in The Poet's World (1995). Her Collected Poems 1974–2004 was released in 2016.
Rita Dove also wrote a play called The Darker Face of the Earth, which was first performed in 1996. She has worked with famous composers like John Williams and Tania Leon, writing words for their music. For example, she wrote a poem for Steven Spielberg's documentary The Unfinished Journey.
Her poetry collection Sonata Mulattica (2009) tells a long story with vivid characters. Her most recent poetry book, Playlist for the Apocalypse, came out in 2021. Critics praised it as one of her best works.
In 2011, Rita Dove edited The Penguin Anthology of 20th-Century American Poetry. This collection caused some discussion because she aimed to include a wide range of poets.
Her books have been translated into many languages, including German, Chinese, Spanish, and French.
Awards and Recognition
Besides the Pulitzer Prize, Rita Dove has received many other awards and honors. She has been given 29 honorary doctorates from universities like Yale University, Harvard University, and The University of Iowa.
In 1996, President Bill Clinton gave her the National Humanities Medal. In 2011, President Barack Obama presented her with the National Medal of Arts. She also received the Wallace Stevens Award in 2019.
In 2021, she earned the gold medal in poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This is the highest honor from the academy for a poet. She was only the third woman and the first African American to receive it.
In 2022, a portrait of Rita Dove was unveiled at the University of Virginia. She also won the Library of Virginia Poetry Award for Playlist for the Apocalypse that year. She received two more lifetime achievement awards: the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize and the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt Prize.
In November 2023, Rita Dove received the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She was only the fourth poet to receive this lifetime achievement award.
Personal Life
Rita Dove married Fred Viebahn, a German writer, in 1979. They first met in 1976 when they were both studying at the University of Iowa. They lived in Ohio for a few years and also spent time in Germany, Ireland, and Israel.
In 1981, they moved to Arizona, where their daughter, Aviva Dove-Viebahn, was born in 1983. Rita Dove and her husband enjoy ballroom dancing. Since 1989, they have lived in Charlottesville, Virginia.
See also
In Spanish: Rita Dove para niños
