Dean Young (poet)
Encyclopedia
Dean Young is a contemporary American poet in the poetic lineage of John Ashbery
, Frank O'Hara
, and Kenneth Koch
. Often cited as a second-generation New York School
poet, Young also derives influence and inspiration from the work of André Breton
, Paul Éluard
, and the other French Surrealist poets
, and if neo-surrealism has a poetic corollary then it is him. His most recent books are Fall Higher and The Art of Recklessness. Another work, Elegy on Toy Piano (2005), was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
.
In the past, he has been awarded the Colorado Prize for Poetry for Strike Anywhere, has received a Stegner Fellowship
from Stanford University
, and has been awarded fellowships by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
(2002) as well as from the National Endowment for the Arts
and the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center. His work has been included in The Best American Poetry anthology multiple times, dating back to 1993. He was born in Columbia, Pennsylvania
.
In an interview, Young said his poems are about misunderstanding and that tying meaning too closely with understanding is not the intent of his poetry. He finds the process of creation to be more important than the work itself, and that his poems are more demonstrations than explanations. He also finds that using mangled quotes from technical journals, as he experimented with in First Course in Turbulence, allows for a kind of collage in which tones confront each other. Citing Breton
as a major influence, Young finds Surrealism
useful in understanding the imagination and removing the boundaries between real and unreal.
In 2008, Young became the William Livingston Chair of Poetry at the University of Texas at Austin.
John Ashbery
John Lawrence Ashbery is an American poet. He has published more than twenty volumes of poetry and won nearly every major American award for poetry, including a Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for his collection Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror. But Ashbery's work still proves controversial...
, Frank O'Hara
Frank O'Hara
Francis Russell "Frank" O'Hara was an American writer, poet and art critic. He was a member of the New York School of poetry.-Life:...
, and Kenneth Koch
Kenneth Koch
Kenneth Koch was an American poet, playwright, and professor, active from the 1950s until his death at age 77...
. Often cited as a second-generation New York School
New York School
The New York School was an informal group of American poets, painters, dancers, and musicians active in the 1950s, 1960s in New York City...
poet, Young also derives influence and inspiration from the work of André Breton
André Breton
André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism"....
, Paul Éluard
Paul Éluard
Paul Éluard, born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel , was a French poet who was one of the founders of the surrealist movement.-Biography:...
, and the other French Surrealist poets
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
, and if neo-surrealism has a poetic corollary then it is him. His most recent books are Fall Higher and The Art of Recklessness. Another work, Elegy on Toy Piano (2005), was a finalist for 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:...
.
In the past, he has been awarded the Colorado Prize for Poetry for Strike Anywhere, has received a Stegner Fellowship
Stegner Fellowship
The Stegner Fellowship program is a two-year creative writing fellowship at Stanford University. The award is named after American Wallace Stegner , an historian, novelist, short story writer, environmentalist, and Stanford faculty member who founded the university's creative writing program. Ten...
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, and has been awarded fellowships by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
(2002) as well as from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
and the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center. His work has been included in The Best American Poetry anthology multiple times, dating back to 1993. He was born in Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...
.
In an interview, Young said his poems are about misunderstanding and that tying meaning too closely with understanding is not the intent of his poetry. He finds the process of creation to be more important than the work itself, and that his poems are more demonstrations than explanations. He also finds that using mangled quotes from technical journals, as he experimented with in First Course in Turbulence, allows for a kind of collage in which tones confront each other. Citing Breton
André Breton
André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism"....
as a major influence, Young finds Surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
useful in understanding the imagination and removing the boundaries between real and unreal.
In 2008, Young became the William Livingston Chair of Poetry at the University of Texas at Austin.
Books
- Design with X (1988)
- Beloved Infidel (1992) Originally published by Wesleyan University PressWesleyan University PressWesleyan University Press is a university press that is part of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. The Press is currently directed by Suzanna Tamminen, a published poet and essayist...
. - Strike AnywhereStrike AnywhereStrike Anywhere is a punk rock/melodic hardcore band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1999 after the demise of frontman Thomas Barnett's previous band, Inquisition, they took their name from the Inquisition song "Strike Anywhere". Their music is characterized by fast tempos, catchy melodies, and...
(1995) - First Course in Turbulence (1999)
- SkidSkidSkid may refer to:* Skid, a pallet, a metal, wood or plastic platform for holding machinery or equipment* Skid , an outward side-slip in an aircraft turn* Skid steering, a method of steering in which wheels or tracks are skidded sideways...
(2002) - Elegy on Toy Piano (2005)
- Embryoyo (2007)
- Primitive Mentor (2008) (shortlisted for the 2009 International Griffin Poetry PrizeGriffin Poetry PrizeThe Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin. The awards go to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language....
) - 7 Poets, 4 Days, 1 Book (Trinity University Press, 2009).
- The Foggist (2009)
- The Art of Recklessness (2010)
- Fall Higher (Copper Canyon PressCopper Canyon PressCopper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, specializing in the publication of poetry and located in the picturesque town of Port Townsend, Washington. Since 1972, the Press has published poetry exclusively and has established an international reputation for its commitment to...
, 2011)
Magazines and anthologies
- The Best American Poetry 1997The Best American Poetry 1997The Best American Poetry 1997, a volume in The Best American Poetry series, was edited by David Lehman and by guest editor James Tate.-Poets and poems included:-External links:* , with links to each publication where the poems originally appeared...
– link - The Best American Poetry 2000The Best American Poetry 2000The Best American Poetry 2000 , a volume in The Best American Poetry series, was edited by David Lehman and by guest editor Rita Dove....
– link - The Best American Poetry 2001The Best American Poetry 2001The Best American Poetry 2001, a volume in The Best American Poetry series, was edited by David Lehman and by guest editor Robert Hass.One of the poems Hass chose for the volume was by his wife, Brenda Hillman....
– link - The Best American Poetry 2006The Best American Poetry 2006The Best American Poetry 2006, a volume in The Best American Poetry series, was edited by David Lehman , and poet Billy Collins, guest editor....
– link - The Believer, February 2008
- The Best American Poetry 2008 – link
- The Best American Poetry 2010
External links
- Griffin Poetry Prize biography, including video clip of reading of Dean Young poem
- Poets.org - A brief biography.
- PoetryFoundation.org - A very brief biography with links to several poems.
- excerpt from interview in Jubilat
- University of Texas faculty profile
- http://www.transplants.org/donate/deanyoung - Dean Young needs a heart transplant (donate)
Poems online
- PoemHunter.com - Some poems by Dean Young.
- Ode to Hangover - text and audio file of Young reading the poem aloud.
- Poem Without Forgiveness from the Paris Review
- The Business of Love is Cruelty poem by Dean Young
- Three poems from Jacket Magazine
- Exit Ovidian, poem from Boston Review
- Flood Plain, poem from Pool Magazine
- Acceptance Speech, from Poetry Magazine