Reginald Gibbons

Poet, Fiction Writer

Evanston, IL
Illinois US
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Author's Bio

Reginald Gibbons has published eleven books of poems, including, most recently RENDITIONS (Four Way Books).  Two forthcoming books of poems will be published in 2024 (Finishing Line Press) and 2025 LSU Press). His volumes of poetry include his LAST LAKE (2016) and also CREATURES OF A DAY (Finalist for the National Book Award).  He has published two chapbooks, a novel (SWEETBITTER--a fourth edition to be published Aug. 1 2023 by JackLeg Press; 1995 winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award), two collections of short fiction (most recently, AN ORCHARD IN THE STREET, BOA Editions 2017), numerous translations and edited books, and a book about poetry, HOW POEMS THINK (Univ. of Chicago Press, 2015).  His translations include: Sophocles, SELECTED POEMS: ODES AND FRAGMENTS (Princeton Univ. Press); and (with co-translator Charles Segal) Sophocles' ANTIGONE and Euripides' BAKKHAI (Oxford Univ. Press), as well as translations of Spanish and Mexican poets. His translations of selected poems of Boris Pasternak and Marina Tsvetaeva (with co-translator Ilya Kutik) are forthcoming.  At Northwestern University, he is a Frances Hooper Professor of Arts and Humanities, emeritus; for many years he also taught in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. He also helped found the Litowitz Creative Writing Graduate Program (MFA+MA) at Northwestern, and was the editor of TriQuarterly magazine from 1981 till 1997.  See  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/r... 

Publications & Prizes

Fiction

Books:
An Orchard in the Street (BOA Editions, Ltd., 2017)
,
Slow Trains Overhead: Chicago Poems and Stories (University of Chicago Press, 2015)
,
Sweetbitter (Louisiana State University Press, 2003)
,
It's Time (Louisiana State University Press, 2002)
,
New Writing from Mexico (Northwestern University Press, 1992)
,
From South Africa: New Writing, Photographs and Art (University of Chicago Press, 1986)
,
The Writer in Our World (Atlantic Monthly Press, 1985)

Poetry

Books:
Last Lake (University of Chicago Press, 2016)
,
Slow Trains Overhead: Chicago Poems and Stories (University of Chicago Press, 2010)
,
Euripides, Bacchae (co-translated with Charles Segal, Complete Euripides IV (Oxford University Press, 2009)
,
Creatures of a Day (Louisiana State University Press, 2008)
,
Sophocles, Selected Poems (translation) (Princeton University Press, 2008)
,
Antigone (co-translated with Charles Segal) (Oxford University Press, 2002)
,
Selected Poems of Luis Cernuda (Sheep Meadow Press, 2002)
,
Homage to Longshot O'Leary (Holy Cow! Press, 1999)
,
Sparrow (Louisiana State University Press, 1997)
,
Maybe It Was So (University of Chicago Press, 1991)
,
The Poet's Work (University of Chicago Press, 1989)
,
Saints (Persea, 1986)
,
The Ruined Motel (Houghton Mifflin, 1981)
,
Guillen on Guillen: The Poetry and the Poet (Princeton University Press, 1979)
Journal:
Poetry Magazine
Prizes won: 

* Finalist, 2008 National Book Award in poetry * O. B. Hardison, Jr., Poetry Prize, Folger Shakespeare Library, 2004 * Fellowships from Guggenheim Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts * Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (for SWEETBITTER); Texas Institute of Letters prizes for best novel (SWEETBITTER), best book of poems (IT'S TIME), best book of translation (SOPHOCLES, SELECTED POEMS: ODES AND FRAGMENTS), Best American Poetry, and others.

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Prefers to work with: 
Any
Fluent in: 
Spanish
Born in: 
Houston, TX
Texas
Raised in: 
Houston, TX
Texas
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Jul 22, 2023