Tim Seibles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tim Seibles
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reading at Split This Rock, 2014
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| Born | 1955 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Professor of English Old Dominion University |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Southern Methodist University; Vermont College of Fine Arts |
| Genre | Poetry |
Tim Seibles, born in 1955, is an American poet and a professor. He used to be the Poet Laureate of Virginia, which is a special title for a poet in that state. He has written seven books of poetry. His most recent book is called Voodoo Libretto: New and Selected Poems, published in 2022. Tim Seibles has won several awards, including an Open Voice Award. He also received help from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2012, his book Fast Animal was nominated for a National Book Award.
Contents
Becoming a Poet
Tim Seibles first became interested in poetry when he was a teenager. In the 1960s, he heard a poem called "Ego Tripping" by Nikki Giovanni. This poem really inspired him and helped him find his own writing style.
Seibles believes that good poetry needs to be a bit daring. It should explore the space between what feels safe and what feels risky. In his poem "Welcome Home," he used this idea to talk about racial issues.
The Power of Poetry
The Black Arts Movement was important for showing how much Black poets could influence the world. Tim Seibles' poems often focus on the challenges people face from many different viewpoints. His writing style can be funny or even angry, which helps him create powerful poems.
He started writing in his twenties because it gave him the freedom to express himself. Poetry allowed him to write about anything he wanted. This is why he loves the art of poetry so much.
Tim Seibles' Works
Tim Seibles' poems have appeared in many literary magazines. These include Callaloo, The Kenyon Review, and Rattle. His poems have also been included in collections of poetry. Some of these are Verse & Universe: Poems About Science and Mathematics and New American Poets in the 90’s.
Buffalo Head Solos
His book, Buffalo Head Solos, came out in 2004. It contains some of his most important poems. The first poem, "Open Letter," talks about how poetry can help society. Seibles strongly believes that reading poetry should be an exciting experience.
His poetry is unique. He aims to find a deeper meaning that might take many poets and years to fully uncover.
"Douglass, A Last Letter"
One of his most important poems is "Douglass, A Last Letter." This poem explores the life of Frederick Douglass. It looks at the impact Douglass had on the world and what his actions meant for the future.
Seibles carefully chooses the size of his stanzas (sections of a poem). This helps him create different voices, tones, and rhythms in his writing. A line from the poem, "could only be regarded with agonizing wonder and thirst," shows the strong feeling he wants to share. He wrote this poem to make historical figures like Douglass feel more real. He wanted to show what they went through compared to people today.
About Tim Seibles' Life
Tim Seibles was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned his first college degree from Southern Methodist University in 1977. After graduating, he stayed in Dallas and taught English at a high school for ten years. He later earned another degree from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 1990.
Today, he is a professor of English and creative writing at Old Dominion University. He also teaches in the Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing. He leads workshops for the Cave Canem Foundation, which supports Black poets.
Tim Seibles has a son named Cade Seibles. He lives in Norfolk, Virginia.
Awards and Honors
Tim Seibles has written seven collections of poetry. These include Buffalo Head Solos (2004) and Fast Animal (2012). His book Fast Animal won several awards. It received the Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize and the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award. It was also nominated for the National Book Award in 2012. Some of his newest work has been published by Etruscan Press.
Published Books
Full-length poetry collections
- Voodoo Libretto: New and Selected Poems (Etruscan Press, 2022) ISBN 9781733674188
- One Turn Around the Sun (Etruscan Press, 2017) ISBN: 9780990322184
- Fast Animal (Etruscan Press, 2012) ISBN: 9780983294429
- Buffalo Head Solos (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 2004) ISBN: 9781880834640
- Hammerlock (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 1999) ISBN: 9781880834459
- Hurdy-Gurdy (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 1992) ISBN: 9780914946984
- Moves (Corona Press, 1988); Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2012, ISBN: 9780887485596
Chapbooks
- Ten Miles an Hour, Mille Grazie Press, 1998, ISBN: 9781890887056
- Kerosene (Ampersand Press, 1995) ISBN: 9780935331165
In Anthology
- African American poetry: 250 years of Struggle & Song (Library of America, 2020) ISBN: 978-1598536669
- Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology (University of Georgia Press, 2018) ISBN: 978-0820353159
- Seeds of Fire: Contemporary Poetry from the Other U. S. A. (Smokestack Books, 2008) ISBN: 978-0955402821
