Jack Marshall (author)
Encyclopedia
Jack Marshall is an award-winning American
poet and author born to an Iraq
i father and a Syrian
mother of Jewish heritage.
in his neighbourhood.
, for From Baghdad to Brooklyn. He was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in 2008.
, where he used to attend night classes in poetry with poets Robert Lowell
and Stanley Kunitz
. He cites History, Geography and Literature as the subjects he is interested in.
He currently resides in the Bay Area.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet and author born to an Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i father and a Syrian
Demographics of Syria
Syrians today are an overall indigenous Levantine people. While modern-day Syrians are commonly described as Arabs by virtue of their modern-day language and bonds to Arab culture and history...
mother of Jewish heritage.
Upbringing
He grew up speaking Arabic in a Sephardic Jewish household, ruled by traditional Arab Jewish culture. He attended public school as well as a Hebrew schoolHebrew school
Hebrew school can be either the Jewish equivalent of Sunday school - an educational regimen separate from secular education, focusing on topics of Jewish history and learning the Hebrew language, or a primary, secondary or college level educational institution where some or all of the classes are...
in his neighbourhood.
Career and accolades
He is the author of numerous books and poems which reflect and explore his cultural heritage. Two examples, Baghdad to Brooklyn: Growing Up in a Jewish-Arabic Family in Midcentury America, along with Millennium Fever:Poems, proved very successful. He was awarded the PEN West Award and was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle AwardNational Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
, for From Baghdad to Brooklyn. He was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in 2008.
Personal life
Jack discovered his love for literature at the New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
, where he used to attend night classes in poetry with poets Robert Lowell
Robert Lowell
Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet, considered the founder of the confessional poetry movement. He was appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress where he served from 1947 until 1948...
and Stanley Kunitz
Stanley Kunitz
Stanley Jasspon Kunitz was an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress twice, first in 1974 and then again in 2000.-Biography:...
. He cites History, Geography and Literature as the subjects he is interested in.
He currently resides in the Bay Area.
Works
- The Darkest Continent, For Now Press, (1967)
- Bearings, Harper & Row, (1970)
- Floats, Cedar Creek Press, (1971).
- Bits of Thirst, Blue Wind Press, (1976)
- Arriving on the Playing Fields of Paradise, Jazz Press, (1983)
- Arabian Nights, Coffee House Press, (1987)
- Sesame, Coffee House Press, (1993)
- Millennium Fever, Coffee House Press, (1996)
- Chaos Comics, Pennywhistle Press, (1994)
- Gorgeous Chaos; New & Selected Poems, Coffee House Press, (2002)
- From Baghdad to Brooklyn Coffee House Press, (October 1, 2005), ISBN 978-1566891745