Audrey Wurdemann
Encyclopedia
Audrey Wurdemann was an American poet
.
She was the youngest winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
at the age of 24, for her collection Bright Ambush
.
She was the great-great-granddaughter of Percy Bysshe Shelley
.
She never attended grammar school, and entered high school at the age of 11.
Her first collection of poetry, 'The House of Silk' was published when she was 16, sponsored by California poet George Sterling
. She was a 1931 honors graduate of the University of Washington
. After college she traveled through Asia.
She married poet and novelist Joseph Auslander
in 1932 and moved to New York City
, where he taught at Columbia
. They moved to Washington, DC when Auslander was appointed the first Poet Laureate Consultant in poetry of the Library of Congress; they lived at 3117 35th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Cathedral Heights
neighborhood.
She subsequently collaborated with him on the novels My Uncle Jan and The Islanders.
They spent their last years living in Coral Gables, Florida
.
Her work appeared in Harper's, and Poetry magazine.
Their papers are held at the University of Miami
.
Fiction
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
.
She was the youngest winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
The Pulitzer Prize in Poetry has been presented since 1922 for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author. However, special citations for poetry were presented in 1918 and 1919.-Winners:...
at the age of 24, for her collection Bright Ambush
Bright Ambush
Bright Ambush is a book of poems written by Audrey Wurdemann in 1934. In May, 1935 Wurdemann won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for the book. She was the youngest person to win the prize for poetry.-External links:*...
.
She was the great-great-granddaughter of Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
.
She never attended grammar school, and entered high school at the age of 11.
Her first collection of poetry, 'The House of Silk' was published when she was 16, sponsored by California poet George Sterling
George Sterling
George Sterling was an American poet based in California who, during his time, was celebrated in Northern California as one of the greatest American poets, although he never gained much fame in the rest of the United States.-Biography:Sterling was born in Sag Harbor, Long Island, New York, the...
. She was a 1931 honors graduate of the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. After college she traveled through Asia.
She married poet and novelist Joseph Auslander
Joseph Auslander
Joseph Auslander was an American poet, anthologist, translator of poems, and novelist...
in 1932 and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he taught at Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. They moved to Washington, DC when Auslander was appointed the first Poet Laureate Consultant in poetry of the Library of Congress; they lived at 3117 35th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Cathedral Heights
Cathedral Heights
Cathedral Heights is a small, residential neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. It is approximately bounded by Woodley Road to the north, Fulton Street to the south, Wisconsin Avenue to the east, and Glover Archbold Park and Idaho Avenue to the...
neighborhood.
She subsequently collaborated with him on the novels My Uncle Jan and The Islanders.
They spent their last years living in Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables, Florida
Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
.
Her work appeared in Harper's, and Poetry magazine.
Their papers are held at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
Works
Poetry- The House of Silk (1927)
- Bright AmbushBright AmbushBright Ambush is a book of poems written by Audrey Wurdemann in 1934. In May, 1935 Wurdemann won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for the book. She was the youngest person to win the prize for poetry.-External links:*...
(1934, winner of the 19351935 Pulitzer Prize-Journalism awards:*Public Service:** The Sacramento Bee for its campaign against political machine influence in the appointment of two Federal judges in Nevada.*Reporting:...
Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for Poetry) - The Seven Sins (1935)
- Splendour in the Grass (1936)
- Testament of Love (1938)
Fiction
- My Uncle Jan (1945) with Joseph Auslander
- The Islanders (1951) with Joseph Auslander