Stan Rice
Encyclopedia
Stan Rice was an American poet
and artist
. He was the husband of author Anne Rice
.
1942. He met his future wife in a high school journalism class in Richardson, Texas
, and they married in Denton, Texas
on October 14, 1961. They briefly attended together North Texas State University in Denton, before moving to San Francisco in 1962, to enroll at San Francisco State University
, where they both earned their MA
.
Rice was a Professor of English and Creative Writing at San Francisco State University
. In 1977 he received the Academy of American Poets' Edgar Allan Poe Award for Whiteboy, and in subsequent years was also the recipient of the Joseph Henry Jackson Award
as well as a writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts
. Rice retired after 22 years as Chairman of the Creative Writing
program as well as Assistant Director of the Poetry Center in 1989.
It was the death of his and Anne
's first child, daughter Michele (1966–1972), at age six of leukemia
, which sparked Stan Rice's becoming a published author. His first book of poems, based on his daughter's illness and death, was titled Some Lamb, and was published in 1975. He encouraged his wife to quit her work as a waitress, cook and theater usher in order to devote herself full time to her writing, who both eventually encouraged their son, novelist Christopher Rice
, to become a published author as well.
Rice, his wife and his son moved to Garden District, New Orleans
in 1988, where he eventually opened the Stan Rice Gallery.
Stan Rice paintings are represented in the collections of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
and the New Orleans Museum of Art
. He had a one person show at the James W. Palmer Gallery, Vassar College
, Poughkeepsie, New York. The Art Galleries of Southeastern Louisiana presented an exhibition of selected paintings in March 2005. Prospective plans are underway to present exhibitions of Rice’s paintings at various locations in Mexico.
In Prism of the Night, Anne Rice
said of Stan: "He's a model to me of a man who doesn't look to heaven or hell to justify his feelings about life itself. His capacity for action is admirable. Very early on he said to me, 'What more could you ask for than life itself'?"
Poet Deborah Garrison was Rice's editor at Alfred A. Knopf for his 2002 collection, Red to the Rind, which was dedicated to Christopher
, in whose success as a novelist his father greatly rejoiced. Garrison said of Rice: "Stan really attempted to kind of stare down the world, and I admire that."
Knopf's Victoria Wilson
, who edits Anne
's novels and worked with Stan Rice on his 1997 book, Paintings, was particularly impressed by his refusal to sell his artworks, saying, "The great thing about Stan is that he refused to play the game as a painter, and he refused to play the game as a poet."
Stan Rice died of cancer at age 60, on December 9, 2002, in New Orleans where he lived and was survived by Anne
and Christopher
, as well as his mother, Margaret; a brother, Larry; and two sisters, Nancy and Cynthia.
Rice is entombed in Metairie Cemetery
in New Orleans.
site dedicated to the poet, StanRiceDotCom.
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...
and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. He was the husband of author Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
.
Biography
Stan Rice was born in Dallas, TexasDallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
1942. He met his future wife in a high school journalism class in Richardson, Texas
Richardson, Texas
Richardson is a city in Dallas and Collin Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 99,223. In 2011 the population was estimated to be 107,684. Richardson is an affluent inner suburb of Dallas and home of the Telecom Corridor with a high...
, and they married in Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
on October 14, 1961. They briefly attended together North Texas State University in Denton, before moving to San Francisco in 1962, to enroll at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, where they both earned their MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
.
Rice was a Professor of English and Creative Writing at San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
. In 1977 he received the Academy of American Poets' Edgar Allan Poe Award for Whiteboy, and in subsequent years was also the recipient of the Joseph Henry Jackson Award
Joseph Henry Jackson Award
The Joseph Henry Jackson Award is a literary award offered annually to promising young California writers. The award is sponsored by and administered by Intersection for the Arts. There is no entry fee to apply for this award. Recipients receive $2000....
as well as a writing 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...
. Rice retired after 22 years as Chairman of the 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...
program as well as Assistant Director of the Poetry Center in 1989.
It was the death of his and Anne
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
's first child, daughter Michele (1966–1972), at age six of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, which sparked Stan Rice's becoming a published author. His first book of poems, based on his daughter's illness and death, was titled Some Lamb, and was published in 1975. He encouraged his wife to quit her work as a waitress, cook and theater usher in order to devote herself full time to her writing, who both eventually encouraged their son, novelist Christopher Rice
Christopher Rice
Christopher Travis Rice is an American author. Rice has written five best-selling novels: A Density of Souls, The Snow Garden, Light Before Day, Blind Fall, and his latest book, The Moonlit Earth, which was published in April 2010 by Scribner.-Biography:Christopher Rice comes from a family of...
, to become a published author as well.
Rice, his wife and his son moved to Garden District, New Orleans
Garden District, New Orleans
The Garden District is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Central City/Garden District Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: St. Charles Avenue to the north, 1st Street to the east, Magazine Street to the south and Toledano Street to the...
in 1988, where he eventually opened the Stan Rice Gallery.
Stan Rice paintings are represented in the collections of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is located in New Orleans, within the Central Business District adjacent to Lee Circle. It is associated with the University of New Orleans...
and the New Orleans Museum of Art
New Orleans Museum of Art
The New Orleans Museum of Art is the oldest fine arts museum in the city of New Orleans. It is situated within City Park, a short distance from the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Esplanade Avenue, and near the terminus of the "Canal Street - City Park" streetcar line...
. He had a one person show at the James W. Palmer Gallery, Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
, Poughkeepsie, New York. The Art Galleries of Southeastern Louisiana presented an exhibition of selected paintings in March 2005. Prospective plans are underway to present exhibitions of Rice’s paintings at various locations in Mexico.
In Prism of the Night, Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
said of Stan: "He's a model to me of a man who doesn't look to heaven or hell to justify his feelings about life itself. His capacity for action is admirable. Very early on he said to me, 'What more could you ask for than life itself'?"
Poet Deborah Garrison was Rice's editor at Alfred A. Knopf for his 2002 collection, Red to the Rind, which was dedicated to Christopher
Christopher Rice
Christopher Travis Rice is an American author. Rice has written five best-selling novels: A Density of Souls, The Snow Garden, Light Before Day, Blind Fall, and his latest book, The Moonlit Earth, which was published in April 2010 by Scribner.-Biography:Christopher Rice comes from a family of...
, in whose success as a novelist his father greatly rejoiced. Garrison said of Rice: "Stan really attempted to kind of stare down the world, and I admire that."
Knopf's Victoria Wilson
Victoria Wilson
Victoria "Vicky" Wilson is an American publishing executive who served on the United States Commission on Civil Rights from 2000 through 2001.-Life and career:...
, who edits Anne
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
's novels and worked with Stan Rice on his 1997 book, Paintings, was particularly impressed by his refusal to sell his artworks, saying, "The great thing about Stan is that he refused to play the game as a painter, and he refused to play the game as a poet."
Stan Rice died of cancer at age 60, on December 9, 2002, in New Orleans where he lived and was survived by Anne
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
and Christopher
Christopher Rice
Christopher Travis Rice is an American author. Rice has written five best-selling novels: A Density of Souls, The Snow Garden, Light Before Day, Blind Fall, and his latest book, The Moonlit Earth, which was published in April 2010 by Scribner.-Biography:Christopher Rice comes from a family of...
, as well as his mother, Margaret; a brother, Larry; and two sisters, Nancy and Cynthia.
Rice is entombed in Metairie Cemetery
Metairie Cemetery
Metairie Cemetery is a cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The name has caused some people to mistakenly presume that the cemetery is located in Metairie, Louisiana, but it is located within the New Orleans city limits, on Metairie Road .-History:This site was previously a horse...
in New Orleans.
Poetry collections
- False Prophet (2003) (Posthumous)
- Red to the Rind (2002)
- The Radiance of Pigs (1999)
- Fear Itself (1997)
- Singing Yet: New and Selected Poems (1992)
- Body of Work (1983)
- Whiteboy (1976) (earned the Edgar Allan Poe AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
from the Academy of American PoetsAcademy of American PoetsThe Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of poetry. The Academy was incorporated as a "membership corporation" in New York State in 1934...
) - Some Lamb (1975)
Poetry video recordings
Two series of recordings — one from 1973 at San Francisco State University and the other from 1996 at the poet's New Orleans home by filmmaker Blair Murphy — capturing Stan Rice reading several of his poems can be currently viewed at the YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
site dedicated to the poet, StanRiceDotCom.
External links
- Stan Rice Gallery, New Orleans
- Stan Rice poetry readings
- Thunder Sandwich