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Born on 12 January 1927
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Recent Additions Born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, USA
• James Weldon Johnson Judith Wright
Died on 25 March 1980
• Jacques Chirac Nationality United States Kingsley Amis
• Raul Castro Works & Achievements Pulitzer Prize, Yale Series of Younger Poets Award and Ohiona Book Award; Notable works
Lord Byron
include 'The Green Wall', 'Saint Judas' and 'The Branch Will Not Break'.
• Derek Walcott
P B Shelley
• David Wagoner
Phillis Wheatley
• Alexander Hamilton
James Arlington Wright, one of the most prolific American poets of Rabindranath Tagore
• Judith Wright
the 20th century, was the proud recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. Wright
• Phillis Wheatley Ralph Waldo Emerson
made a debut in the literary world in the year 1956, with 'The Green
• Ella Wheeler Wilcox Wall'. The book not only earned him rave reviews, but also won him Rumi
Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Thereafter, there was no
• James Wright Samuel Coleridge
stopping for this talented poet. His second book, 'Saint Judas' came
• Moses
soon after and earned him Ohiona Book Award. Later on in his life, Sarojini Naidu
• John Calvin Wright shed the conservational style and adopted the contemporary
T S Eliot
writing style. It was his book 'The Branch Will Not Break', which gave
Wright's new mode its maximum expression. Apart from the W B Yeats
prestigious awards, Wright also received a grant from the
Walt Whitman
Rockefeller Foundation.
William Wordsworth
Childhood & Early Life
JamesArlington Wright was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, on
December 13, 1927. While his father had a job in a glass factory, his
mother worked in a laundry. In 1943, when Wright was still in high
school, he suffered a nervous breakdown and missed a year of
school. Graduating a year late, in 1946, he joined the army and was
stationed in Japan, during the American occupation. After coming
back from the army, he joined Kenyon College and graduated with
honors in 1952. There, instead of studying vocational subjects,
Wright focused his attention on English and Russian literature.
During his graduation, he had published 20 journals, won Robert
Frost Poetry Prize and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1953, he
married Liberty Kardules in Martins Ferry. Thereafter, he moved to
Vienna, along with his wife, to study at the University of Vienna. For a
year, Wright studied the works of Theodor Storm and Georg Trakl, on
a Fulbright fellowship.
Later Life
In 1954, James Wright enrolled himself at the University of Washington. Studying under Theodore Roethke, he earned a
master's degree and went on to pursue a doctoral degree. In 1957, he made his debut with 'The Green Wall' and was awarded
with the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Around the same time, i.e. after the publication of 'The Green Wall', Wright was
offered the position of a professor at the University of Minnesota. In 1959, he attained his doctorate, with a thesis on Charles
Dickens. While his professional life was soaring high, his personal life turned sour. The marriage with Liberty Kardules ended
in a disaster and the two separated in 1962.
Around the time of his separation, Wright made friends with Robert Bly, a poet, who was struggling to make a mark in the world.
Together, both of them explored the boundaries of poetic language and worked on European and Latin American poets, like
Georg Trakl and Cesar Vallejo. Soon, his second collection, 'Saint Judas', was published in the distinguished Wesleyan
University Press. Three years later, in 1962, he was awarded with the Ohiona Book Award for 'Saint Judas'. During these years,
Wright had become an illustrious poet. His works featured in the major publications and journals, such as the Sewannee
Review, the New Yorker and New Orleans Poetry Review.
Despite his achievements in the literary field, the University of Minnesota had doubts about Wright's qualification for becoming
a tenured professor, resulting in his relocation to Macalester College. In 1963, his third book, previously titled 'Amenities of
Stone', was released under the name 'The Branch Shall Not Break'. The book proved to be one of the most influential volumes
of the 1960s. Also It also market Wright's movement, away from the conservative trend and style, and towards the more
experimental, free verse.
After his teaching experience at the Macalester College, Wright held a similar position in the Hunter College (1966). A year later,
in 1967, he met Edith Ann Runk (Annie) and eventually, the two of them married and moved to New York. The two gelled very
Despite his achievements in the literary field, the University of Minnesota had doubts about Wright's qualification for becoming
a tenured professor, resulting in his relocation to Macalester College. In 1963, his third book, previously titled 'Amenities of
Stone', was released under the name 'The Branch Shall Not Break'. The book proved to be one of the most influential volumes
of the 1960s. Also It also market Wright's movement, away from the conservative trend and style, and towards the more
experimental, free verse.
After his teaching experience at the Macalester College, Wright held a similar position in the Hunter College (1966). A year later,
in 1967, he met Edith Ann Runk (Annie) and eventually, the two of them married and moved to New York. The two gelled very
well and explored each other's positive qualities. Apart from supporting Wright's poetry, Annie also tamed down his drinking
habit. Around this time, he published 'Shall We Gather at the River', a collection that, one may say, unified because it seemed
like one long poem or notes for a long poem.
James Wright and Annie were always on the move. They would spend their summers in Paris and Italy, traveling from one hotel
to another, just lazing around and writing poetry. In his last year, Wright and his wife traveled throughout Europe, until
September 1979. He would often write back, about his new found life, to his friends in the US. In the autumn of 1979, when
Wright and Annie reached USA, the former got hospitalized with a severe sore throat. He was diagnosed with cancer, which
was neither treatable, nor could be operated upon. In 1980, his last book, 'This Journey' was published.
Death
On the 25 th of March, 1980, James Wright left for the heavenly abode. His funeral was held at the same church Wright and
Annie got married in Riverside Church.
Personal Life
In 1953, James Wright married Liberty Kardules, in Martins Ferry. The same year, the couple was blessed with a baby boy,
whom they named Franz. Later, in 1958, Marshall was born. However, things were not as smooth as they had been earlier.
Wright left his wife in 1959. Things worsened further and eventually, they got divorced in 1962. Four years later, Wright met Edith
Ann Runk and the two got married. His second marriage was blissful, with Annie bringing out his positive side and making him
a better person.
Awards
1972 Pulitzer Prize, for Collected Poems
1957 Yale Series of Younger Poets Award, for 'The Green Wall'
1962 Ohiona Book Award, for 'Saint Judas'
His Works
Poems Published During His Lifetime
1957 The Green Wall
1959 Saint Judas
1963 The Branch Will Not Break, Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio
1967 Shall We Gather at the River
1971 Collected Poems
1973 Two Citizens
1976 Moments of the Italian Summer
1977 To a Blossoming Pear Tree
Poems Published Posthumously
1982 This Journey, The Temple at Nimes
1992 Above the River the Complete Poems, introduction by Donald Hall
2005 Selected Poems, A Wild Perfection: The Selected Letters of James Wright
Prose
1983 Collected Prose
Timeline:
1927 James Wright was born
1946 Joined the army
1952 Graduated with honors from Kenyon College
1953 Married Liberty Kardules, Studied the works of Theodor Storm & Georg Trakl
1954 Enrolled himself at the University of Washington
1957 Made his debut in the literary world, with 'The Green Wall'
1959 Attained his doctorate, with a thesis on Charles Dickens
1962 Gotdivorced from Liberty Kardules
1963 Published his third book 'The Branch Shall Not Break'
1966 Became a professor in Hunter College
1967 Met Edith Ann Runk (Annie)
1979 Hospitalized with a severe sore throat and diagnosed with cancer
1980 Published 'This Journey', Left for the heavenly abode
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