Brookline poet david ferry wins national book award wbur news. Poet david ferry, a distinguished scholar in residence at suffolk university, has won the 2012 national book award in poetry for bewilderment. He won the national book award for poetry for his 2012 collection bewilderment. In addition to his lauded translations of the odes of horace and virgil s the eclogues, georgics, and the aeneid, among other works. Lecture and a poetry reading by david ferry wheaton. The awards were founded in 1950 by the american book publishers council, american booksellers association, and book manufacturers institute. Ferrys aeneid sometimes prunes lines from the latin original, turning his translation into more of a paraphrase. Poet david ferry on writing verse, winning awards at 88. Jan 14, 20 poetry finalists include the 88yearold david ferry, who won the 2012 national book award for bewilderment. On wednesday, november, national book awardwinning poet david ferry and critically acclaimed author jamaica kincaid will read from.
Poet david ferry who will be reading as part of hunters distinguished writers series on october 23 was recently shortlisted for the national book award in poetry for his latest collection bewilderment. And maybe thats the right spirit in which to approach this version. In 2012, david ferry capped a long career as a poet with a national book award, given in honor of his book bewilderment. New poems and translations 2012, which won the national book award for poetry.
David ferry, a finalist for the national book critics circle award in poetry for his translation of gilgamesh, is a poet and translator who has also won the lenore marshall poetry prize, given by the academy of american poets, and the rebekah johnson bobbitt national prize for poetry, given by the library of congress. He is the author of a number of books of poetry and has translated several works from classical languages. The odes of horace by david ferry overdrive rakuten. Nov 15, 2012 university of chicago press honors poet and translator david ferry, whos latest work bewilderment. Nov 15, 2012 this article is more than 7 years old.
David ferry is an acclaimed american poet, professor, and translator. Poet and translator david ferry, profiled by spencer. And now it has been translated by our very best living translator from latin, poet david ferry. Poet david ferry reads from his collection bewilderment youtube. Mar 06, 20 jeffrey brown profiles david ferry, a poet concerned with making connections to classical literature. A new rendering in english verse, was a finalist for the nation book critics circle award. Jeffrey brown profiles david ferry, a poet concerned with making connections to classical literature. He will be joined in conversation by rosanna warren. His most recent book bewilderment 2012 received the national book award for poetry and was a finalist for the national book critics circle award. Ferrys book, a collection of his own poems and translations of the latin verse of horace and virgil, was praised by the judges for its grace and profundity, spiritual wisdom and utilitarianism.
Writers jamaica kincaid and david ferry read at lewis center for. Subsequently, the awards were announced midfebruary to march 1 and presented at the convention. Ferry received the award at a ceremony in new york on november 14. In poem after poem, his diction modulates beautifully between plainspoken high eloquence. New and selected poems and translations he won the lenore marshall poetry prize, given by the academy of american poets, and the rebekah johnson bobbitt national. New poems and translations heres a brief writeup, including a live stream of the ceremony, via galleycat. Poetry finalists include the 88yearold david ferry, who won the 2012 national book award for bewilderment.
Wellesley professor emeritus wins national book award for poetry. A conversation with poet david ferry on the occasion of his. After retiring from wellesley in 1989, ferrys translation career began. Jan 09, 20 david ferry, who, at the age of eightyeight, has just won the national book award for poetry, is a special kind of thief. To read david ferrys bewilderment is to be reminded that poetry of the highest order can be made by the subtlest of means.
David ferry re was born in blackpool uk and studied painting at the camberwell schools of art and printmaking at the slade school of fine art in london. David ferry, a finalist for the national book critics circle award in poetry for his translation of gilgamesh, is a poet and translator who has also won the lenore marshall poetry prize, given by the academy of american poets, and the rebekah john. More about this book poetry winner national book awards 2012. Three years after that award, he is now finishing his translation of the aeneid.
Poet david ferry on writing verse, winning awards at 88 youtube. Currently he is the sophie chantal hart professor emeritus of english at wellesley college, as well as a visiting lecturer in the graduate creative writing program at boston university. Brookline poet david ferry wins national book award wbur. New poems and translations is the winner of the 2012 national book award for poems. Ferry is currently tackling a translation of virgils aeneid. He has published eight collections of his poetry and a volume of literary criticism. The passionate nature and originality of ferrys prosodic daring works astonishing transformations that.
He carries us to places we cant possibly visit, from the mesopotamia. Writers jamaica kincaid and david ferry read at lewis. Since then, he has translated the odes and the epistles of horace and the eclogues and georgics of virgil. A conversation with poet david ferry on the occasion of. David ferry is an american poet, translator, and educator. List of winners of the national book award wikipedia. Mar 05, 2020 in 20, i corresponded with david ferry by phone to conduct a wideranging interview on his poetry, translations, and literary life. Bewilderment, new poems and translations university of chicago, 2012 won the national book award.
He was elected a fellow of the american academy of arts and sciences in 1998, was awarded the ruth lilly poetry prize for lifetime achievement in 2011, and won the 2012 national book award for poetry for bewilderment. David ferry was born on september 6, 1951 in st johns, newfoundland and labrador, canada. David ferry is the author of a number of books of poetry and has translated several works from classical languages. Ferry was recently honored with the ruth lilly poetry prize as well as the national book award for poetry. In fact, he was in the middle of the most ambitious poetic project of his life. Heres a brief writeup, including a live stream of the ceremony, via galleycat. Richard poirier says in his blurb on the back of this book,the poetic splendor and sublimity of david ferry s gilgamesh is entirely of his own making, and his great poem is no more indebted to earlier versions of its story than is anything of shakespeares to norths plutarch. He had published six books in all, including a critical work called the limits of mortality.
Dec 05, 2017 david ferry won the national book award in his 80s. The national book award for translated literature was inaugurated in 2018 for fiction or nonfiction, where both author and translator were alive at the beginning of the awards cycle. Rsvp here please note that your rsvp is requested, not required about the book. Ferry was recently honored with the ruth lilly poetry prize as well as the national book award. Poet and translator, david ferry, is the recipient of the national book award, the lenore marshall poetry prize, and the harold morton landon translation award, among other honors.
Mar 04, 20 ferry was recently honored with the ruth lilly poetry prize as well as the national book award for poetry. Acclaimed poettranslator david ferrys latest collection, bewilderment, is an odd collection, in that the authors poems on the experiences of advanced age he is now 88 years old and his various translations from the latin. Sep 26, 2017 and now it has been translated by our very best living translator from latin, poet david ferry. Pbs newshours jeffrey brown profiles eightyeightyearold david ferry, who was recently honored with the ruth lilly poetry prize as well as the national book award for poetry. New poems and translations and was still at work on virgils aeneid which he published in 2018 today, on the occasion of his 96th birthday, i revisit this correspondence to celebrate and honor david. An essay on wordsworths major poems wesleyan university press, and has won may major prizes. He entered the air force after his freshman year at amherst college, returning to complete his degree in 1948.
Poet david ferry reads from his collection bewilderment. David ferry is an acclaimed american poet and translator. Nov 16, 2012 the national book award was established in 1950. In 2012, ferry was awarded the national book award for poetry for his book bewilderment university of chicago press. David ferrys most recent book is a translation of virgils aeneid university of chicago, 2017. Poet david ferry reads from his collection bewilderment, which won last years national book award for poetry. Richard poirier says in his blurb on the back of this book,the poetic splendor and sublimity of david ferrys gilgamesh is entirely of his own making, and his great poem is no more indebted to earlier versions of its story than is anything of shakespeares to norths plutarch. Ferrys translations, which include some of the worlds major works of poetry are known for their fluency and grace.
Scrim from bewilderment i sit here in a shelter behind the words of what im writing, looking out as if. David ferry was born in orange, new jersey in 1924. He was former associate professor of fine art media, at the long island university, new york, usa, and former head of. National book critics circle names 2012 award finalists. Princeton student patience haggin will also read from her recent translation work. The national book foundation has presented its prestigious national book award for poetry to david ferry for his collection, bewilderment. David ferry, a finalist for the national book critics circle award in poetry for his translation of gilgamesh in 1992, has translated the odes of horace, the eclogues of virgil, and the epistles of horace.
After retiring from wellesley in 1989, ferry s translation career began. Poet and translator, david ferry, is the recipient of the national book award, the lenore marshall poetry prize, and the harold morton landon translation award, among other honors the academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. Writers jamaica kincaid and david ferry read at lewis center. Come and hear david read from this collection and answer audience questions on october 23 at. On wednesday, november, national book awardwinning poet david ferry and critically acclaimed author jamaica kincaid will read from their works as part of the althea ward clark w21 reading series of the program in creative writing at the lewis center for the arts. David ferry poet and translator, david ferry, is the recipient of the national book award, the lenore marshall poetry prize, and the harold morton. Bewilderment is ferrys new book, the one that got him the big prize. National book awards, annual awards given to books of the highest quality written by americans and published by american publishers. Poet david ferry reads from his collection bewilderment, which won last years. Poet david ferry shortlisted for the national book award in. Oct 03, 2012 bewilderment is a good collection, but it is not an excellent one and in comparison to other national book award poetry finalists, it perhaps suffers due to its perceived shackling to older conventions. David ferry won the national book award in his 80s. These are the quiet, careful poems of the crafts master, singing about the human condition as casually and ferociously as it is lived.
He had just won the national book award for bewilderment. David ferry, is the recipient of the national book award, the lenore marshall poetry prize, and the harold morton landon translation award. He is currently professor of printmaking and book arts at the cardiff school of art, cardiff metropolitan university,wales. The winners of the 2012 national book awards were announced at a ceremony in new york on november 14, going to william alexander for goblin secrets young peoples literature, david ferry for. The passionate nature and originality of ferrys prosodic daring works astonishing transformations that take your breath away. The first translation award ran from 19681983 and was for fiction only, the translated author could be living or dead eg.
New and selected poems and translations 1999 won the american academy of poets lenore marshall poetry prize, the rebekah johnson bobbitt national prize. Louise erdrich, katherine boo, david ferry among national book award winners. The mission of the national book foundation is to celebrate the best literature in america, expand its audience, and ensure that books have a prominent place in american culture. The first national book awards were presented in may 1936 at the annual convention of the american booksellers association to four 1935 books selected by its members. He was elected a fellow of the american academy of arts and sciences in 1998, was awarded the ruth lilly poetry prize for lifetime achievement in 2011 and won the 2012 national book award for poetry for bewilderment. New and selected poems and translations he won the lenore marshall poetry prize, given by the academy of american poets, and the rebekah. National book awards american literary award britannica. University of chicago press honors poet and translator david ferry, whos latest work bewilderment. David ferry reading with jamaica kincaid poetry princeton. Later that evening, david ferry read from his most recent books of poetry including on this side of the river. Louise erdrich, katherine boo, david ferry among national.
David ferry wins this years national book award in poetry for his collection bewilderment. New poems and translations and was still at work on virgils aeneid which he published in 2018. David ferry wins national book award by harriet poetry. In 20, i corresponded with david ferry by phone to conduct a wideranging interview on his poetry, translations, and literary life. Princeton student patience haggin will also read from her recent. National book critics circle names 2012 award finalists the. In 2001, he received an award in literature from the american academy of arts. David ferry was born in 1924 in orange, new jersey. David ferry photo by stephen ferry david ferry of massachusetts yesterday won the 2012 national book award in poetry for his book bewilderment.
David ferry, who, at the age of eightyeight, has just won the national book award for poetry, is a special kind of thief. Poet david ferry shortlisted for the national book award. It is administered by the national book foundation and recognizes american authors annually in four categories, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young peoples literature. He is an actor, known for the boondock saints 1999, the boondock saints ii. Ferry was recently honored with the ruth lilly poetry prize. Feb 28, 20 poet david ferry reads from his collection bewilderment, which won last years national book award for poetry. David ferry s new poems, in their grace and profundity, spiritual wisdom and utilitarianism, reach toward immortality, and may achieve it. Mar 04, 20 jeffrey brown profiles david ferry, a poet concerned with making connections to classical literature. Poet david ferry on writing verse, reading poems, winning. At age 88, he is currently tackling a translation of virgils aeneid. Winner of the national book award in 2012 for his collection bewilderment, ferry has long been lauded for his translations, among them virgils ecloguesbut it wasnt until 2006, at the age of 82, that he embarked on the monumental task of. Sep 14, 2012 winner of the 2012 national book award for poetry. New poems and translations 2012, won the national book award for poetry.
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