Will Alexander (poet) facts for kids

Will Alexander (born in 1948) is an American writer and artist. He writes many different kinds of things, like poems, novels (long stories), essays (short pieces about a topic), and plays. He also creates visual art. He has won important awards for his poetry, like the Whiting Fellowship in 2001 and the California Arts Council Fellowship in 2002.

About Will Alexander's Life

Will Alexander studied at the University of California–Los Angeles. He earned a special degree in English and creative writing in 1972.

His writings have appeared in many well-known magazines. These include BOMB, Boston Review, and The Nation.

Alexander's poetry and art are much inspired by other writers. He has been influenced by Bob Kaufman, Octavio Paz, and Francophone Negritude writers. These include Aimé Cesaire and Jean-Joseph Rabéarivelo. Alexander says their ideas about feeling alone in the universe and discovering things inside yourself are like an "alchemical metamorphosis." This means a magical change or transformation. His work often uses strong metaphors and complex language. People often describe his writing as surreal. This means it has a dream-like or unusual quality.

Awards and Honors

Will Alexander has received several important awards for his writing. These awards show how much his work is valued.

• 2016 — Jackson Poetry Prize (given by Poets & Writers)
• 2014 — American Book Award for his book Singing In Magnetic Hoofbeat
• 2002 — California Arts Council Fellowship
• 2001 — Whiting Fellowship for Poetry

Will Alexander's Works

Will Alexander has written many books. These include collections of poems, novels, essays, and plays. Here are some examples of his published works:

• Vertical Rainbow Climber (poems), published in 1987.
• The Stratospheric Canticles (poems), published in 1995.
• Towards the Primeval Lightning Field (philosophical essays), first published in 1998.
• Sunrise In Armageddon (novel), published in 2006.
• The Sri Lankan Loxodrome (poems), published in 2009.
• Compression & Purity (poems), published by City Lights in 2011.
• Diary As Sin (novel), published in 2011.
• Inside the Earthquake Palace: 4 Plays (theatre), published in 2011.
• Singing in Magnetic Hoofbeat: Essays, Prose Texts, Interviews and a Lecture 1991–2007 (a collection of his prose), published in 2012.
• The Codex Mirror: 60 Drawings by Byron Baker & 60 Writings by Will Alexander (short, wise sayings), published in 2015.
• At Night on the Sun (play), published in 2017.
• Across the Vapour Gulf (short, wise sayings), published in 2017.
• A Cannibal Explains Himself To Himself (essays), published in 2019.
• The Combustion Cycle (three long poems), published in 2021.
• Refractive Africa (three long poems), published in 2021.
• Divine Blue Light (for John Coltrane) (poems), published by City Lights in 2022.