Betsy Colquitt
Encyclopedia
Betsy Colquitt is a distinguished and much-published poet
who is well known for the themes
and poetic structures which reflect a modernist sensibility. Her poems, essays, and reviews have been widely published in major American literary journals for the past forty years. Colquitt, née Betsy Ruth Feagan, was born in Fort Worth, Texas
where she attended Paschal High School and graduated with honors with a degree in English from Texas Christian University
in 1947. She attended Vanderbilt University
and studied creative writing
in a graduate program that included Allen Tate
and John Crowe Ransom
who served as Colquitt's professors and mentors. James Dickey
was a fellow classmate. Colquitt received her M.A. degree from Vanderbilt in 1948. She attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
to work on her Ph.D. but left the program in 1953 to return to Fort Worth because her mother had suffered a stroke. Colquitt joined the faculty of the English department at Texas Christian University in 1953 where she taught literature and creative writing until her retirement in 1995. A course she developed on the "Interrelation of the Arts" became a mainstay of the program and a much beloved and influential course among her students. At TCU, she also became the founding editor of the literary journal Descant, which she edited for twenty-five years. The major poetry award offered by Descant is named in her honor. While at TCU, she met and married Landon Colquitt, a mathematics
professor to whom she was married until his death from a heart attack
in 1991. The Colquitts had two daughters, Kate, a physician, and Clare, a professor at San Diego State University
.
Colquitt's volumes of poetry include Honor Card and Other Poems (Saurian Press, 1980) and Eve: From the Autobiography and Other Poems (Texas Christian University Press, 1997). Eve has been praised for its feminist analyses of creativity
and of woman's role in the creation, and this volume together with many of Colquitt's other poems and essays, have led many critics to view Colquitt as a leading woman writer. Critics also praise Colquitt's work for its insights into cognition
and creativity and for its sensitivity to the longings of the human heart
for an identity rooted in meaning and purpose. James Ward Lee wrote: "Betsy Colquitt has long been recognized as one of Texas’ finest poets."
Information on and analyses of Colquitt's works are included in Contemporary Authors, Who's Who of American Women, Directory of American Scholars, and World's Who's Who of Women. She also holds memberships in the Texas Institute of Letters and in the American Center for Artists.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
who is well known for the themes
Theme (literature)
A theme is a broad, message, or moral of a story. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly. Along with plot, character,...
and poetic structures which reflect a modernist sensibility. Her poems, essays, and reviews have been widely published in major American literary journals for the past forty years. Colquitt, née Betsy Ruth Feagan, was born in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
where she attended Paschal High School and graduated with honors with a degree in English from Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
in 1947. She attended Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
and studied creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
in a graduate program that included Allen Tate
Allen Tate
John Orley Allen Tate was an American poet, essayist, social commentator, and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1943 to 1944.-Life:...
and John Crowe Ransom
John Crowe Ransom
John Crowe Ransom was an American poet, essayist, magazine editor, and professor.-Life:...
who served as Colquitt's professors and mentors. James Dickey
James Dickey
James Lafayette Dickey was an American poet and novelist. He was appointed the eighteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1966.-Early years:...
was a fellow classmate. Colquitt received her M.A. degree from Vanderbilt in 1948. She attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
to work on her Ph.D. but left the program in 1953 to return to Fort Worth because her mother had suffered a stroke. Colquitt joined the faculty of the English department at Texas Christian University in 1953 where she taught literature and creative writing until her retirement in 1995. A course she developed on the "Interrelation of the Arts" became a mainstay of the program and a much beloved and influential course among her students. At TCU, she also became the founding editor of the literary journal Descant, which she edited for twenty-five years. The major poetry award offered by Descant is named in her honor. While at TCU, she met and married Landon Colquitt, a mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
professor to whom she was married until his death from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1991. The Colquitts had two daughters, Kate, a physician, and Clare, a professor at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
.
Colquitt's volumes of poetry include Honor Card and Other Poems (Saurian Press, 1980) and Eve: From the Autobiography and Other Poems (Texas Christian University Press, 1997). Eve has been praised for its feminist analyses of creativity
Creativity
Creativity refers to the phenomenon whereby a person creates something new that has some kind of value. What counts as "new" may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs...
and of woman's role in the creation, and this volume together with many of Colquitt's other poems and essays, have led many critics to view Colquitt as a leading woman writer. Critics also praise Colquitt's work for its insights into cognition
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
and creativity and for its sensitivity to the longings of the human heart
Heart (symbol)
The heart has long been used as a symbol to refer to the spiritual, emotional, moral, and in the past, also intellectual core of a human being...
for an identity rooted in meaning and purpose. James Ward Lee wrote: "Betsy Colquitt has long been recognized as one of Texas’ finest poets."
Information on and analyses of Colquitt's works are included in Contemporary Authors, Who's Who of American Women, Directory of American Scholars, and World's Who's Who of Women. She also holds memberships in the Texas Institute of Letters and in the American Center for Artists.