Frank X. Gaspar
Encyclopedia
Frank Xavier Gaspar is a Portuguese
American poet
, novelist and professor. His most recent novel is Stealing Fatima (Counterpoint press, December, 2009). His most recent collection of poetry, Night of a Thousand Blossoms (Alice James Books
, 2004) was one of 12 books honored as the "Best Poetry of 2004" by Library Journal
. Gaspar's first four books all won awards: his first collection of poetry, The Holyoke, won the 1988 Morse Poetry Prize (selected by Mary Oliver
); Mass for the Grace of a Happy Death won the 1994 Anhinga Prize for Poetry (selected by Joy Harjo
); A Field Guide to the Heavens won the 1999 Brittingham Prize in Poetry
(selected by Robert Bly
; and his novel, Leaving Pico, won the Barnes & Noble Discovery Award.
He has published poems in numerous journals and magazines, including Ploughshares, Harvard Review, Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, Mid-American Review, and Gettysburg Review. His poetry has been anthologized in Best American Poetry 1996 and 2000. He has also won a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts
and three Pushcart Prize
s.
Born in Provincetown
, Massachusetts
, Gaspar served in the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War
. He earned an MFA
from the University of California, Irvine
.
During fall semester of 2010, he taught in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
as the Endowed Chair Professor in Portuguese Studies. He is Professor Emeritus at Long Beach City College
in Long Beach
, California
, and often teaches in the Graduate Writing Program at Antioch University Los Angeles
.
Novels
Portuguese American
Portuguese Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates in the southwest European nation of Portugal, including the offshore island groups of the Azores and Madeira....
American poet
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...
, novelist and professor. His most recent novel is Stealing Fatima (Counterpoint press, December, 2009). His most recent collection of poetry, Night of a Thousand Blossoms (Alice James Books
Alice James Books
Alice James Books is an American non-profit poetry press located in Farmington, Maine and affiliated with the University of Maine at Farmington.- History and mission :...
, 2004) was one of 12 books honored as the "Best Poetry of 2004" by Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
. Gaspar's first four books all won awards: his first collection of poetry, The Holyoke, won the 1988 Morse Poetry Prize (selected by Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver
Mary Oliver is an American poet who has won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. The New York Times described her as "far and away, this country's [America's] best-selling poet".-Early life:...
); Mass for the Grace of a Happy Death won the 1994 Anhinga Prize for Poetry (selected by Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo is a Native American poet, musician, and author of ancestry. Known primarily as a poet, Harjo has also taught at the college level, played alto saxophone with a band called Poetic Justice, edited literary journals, and written screenplays. She is a member of the Muscogee Nation and...
); A Field Guide to the Heavens won the 1999 Brittingham Prize in Poetry
Brittingham Prize in Poetry
The Brittingham Prize in Poetry is a major United States literary award for a book of poetry chosen from an open competition.The prize, established in 1985, is sponsored by the English Department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is selected by a nationally recognized poet, The winner is...
(selected by Robert Bly
Robert Bly
Robert Bly is an American poet, author, activist and leader of the Mythopoetic Men's Movement.-Life:Bly was born in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, to Jacob and Alice Bly, who were of Norwegian ancestry. Following graduation from high school in 1944, he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving...
; and his novel, Leaving Pico, won the Barnes & Noble Discovery Award.
He has published poems in numerous journals and magazines, including Ploughshares, Harvard Review, Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, Mid-American Review, and Gettysburg Review. His poetry has been anthologized in Best American Poetry 1996 and 2000. He has also won a fellowship 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 three Pushcart Prize
Pushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are invited to nominate up to 6 works they have featured....
s.
Born in Provincetown
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Gaspar served in the U.S. Navy in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He earned an MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
.
During fall semester of 2010, he taught in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is one of five campuses and operating subdivisions of the University of Massachusetts . It is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States, in the center of the South Coast region, between the cities of New Bedford to the east and Fall River...
as the Endowed Chair Professor in Portuguese Studies. He is Professor Emeritus at Long Beach City College
Long Beach City College
Long Beach City College, established in 1927, is a community college located in Long Beach, California. It is divided into two campuses. The Liberal Arts Campus, known as LAC, is located in the residential community of the Lakewood Village section of Long Beach, on Carson Street west of Clark Avenue...
in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and often teaches in the Graduate Writing Program at Antioch University Los Angeles
Antioch University Los Angeles
Antioch University Los Angeles is a small private liberal arts school currently located in Culver City, California. The school is a campus of Antioch University.-Background:Antioch College was founded in 1852 in Yellow Springs, Ohio...
.
Published works
Poetry Collections- Night of a Thousand Blossoms (Farmington: Alice James Books, 2004)
- A Field Guide to the Heavens (Madison: University of Wisconsin PressUniversity of Wisconsin PressThe University of Wisconsin Press is a non-profit university press publishing peer-reviewed books and journals. It primarily publishes work by scholars from the global academic community but also serves the citizens of Wisconsin by publishing important books about Wisconsin, the Upper Midwest, and...
, 1999) - Mass for the Grace of a Happy Death (Tallahassee: Anhinga PressAnhinga PressAnhinga Press is an American, independent, literary press located in Tallahassee, Florida. The press began in 1972 as an outgrowth of the Apalachee Poetry Center, a non-profit organization promoting the reading and understanding of poetry. In 1976, founder and poet, Van Brock, expanded the scope of...
, 1995) - The Holyoke (Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1988)
Novels
- Stealing Fatima (Counterpoint, December, 2009) (see Counterpoint LLCCounterpoint LLCCounterpoint LLC is a publishing company distributed by Perseus Books Group launched in 2007. It was formed from the consolidation of three presses: Perseus' Counterpoint Press, Avalon Publishing Group's Shoemaker & Hoard and the independent Soft Skull Press. The company publishes books under the...
) - Leaving Pico (Hanover: University Press of New EnglandUniversity Press of New EnglandThe University Press of New England , located in Lebanon, New Hampshire and founded in 1970, is a university press consortium including Brandeis University, Dartmouth College , the University of New Hampshire, and Northeastern University...
, 1999)
Sources
Contemporary Authors Online. The Gale Group, 2002. PEN (Permanent Entry Number): 0000138095External links
- Official Web site of Frank X. Gaspar
- Interview: Connotation Press > Issue IV, Volume II > January 2010 > Frank X. Gaspar - Interview
- Interview: University Press of New England > Features > Interview with Frank X. Gaspar
- Poems: WebdelSol > Poems by Frank X. Gaspar from Perihelion
- Poem: Academy of American Poets > The One God Is Mysterious by Frank Gaspar