Lee Meitzen Grue (February 8, 1934 – April 3, 2021)
was an American poet and educator. She was the founder and director of the New Orleans Poetry Forum, and has been referred to as that city's unofficial
poet laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
.
She was editor of the literary journal ''The New Laurel Review''.
Early life
She was born in
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area. At the 2010 United States census, the population was 7,119; the 2020 census determined its ...
and lived most of her life in
. At a young age, Grue fell in love with books and poetry, particularly ''The Golden Treasury'' by
Louis Untermeyer
Louis Untermeyer (October 1, 1885 – December 18, 1977) was an American poet, anthologist, critic, and editor. He was appointed the fourteenth Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1961.
Life and career
Untermeyer was born in New Y ...
, which featured female poets.
Inspired by the poetry, Grue decided to become a poet herself.
She graduated from Sophie B. Wright High School in 1951.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the
University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High rese ...
in 1963 and a Master of Fine Arts from
Warren Wilson College
Warren Wilson College (WWC) is a private liberal arts college in Swannanoa, North Carolina. It is known for its curriculum that combines academics, work, and service as every student must complete a requisite course of study, work an on-campu ...
in 1982.
Career
In the early 1960s, Grue began reading her poetry at The Quorum Club, the first non-segregated coffee house in the South.
During her time at the club, she met Eluard Burt, who she collaborated with over many years, including on the CD of jazz poetry titled ''Live! on Frenchmen Street''.
Ms. Grue founded the New Orleans Poetry Forum in 1972, where she was director until 1990.
For many years she promoted poetry readings at her home, establishing there the Backyard Poetry Theater.
Starting in 1982, she edited the international independent literary journal, ''The New Laurel Review''
which is still published today.
Grue was a visiting writer at
Tulane University
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
from 1993 to 1998.
Following
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, she began teaching fiction and poetry at the Alvar Branch of the
New Orleans Public Library
The New Orleans Public Library (NOPL) is the public library service of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
History
The system began in 1895 in the Fisk Free and Public Library in a building on Lafayette Square. Abijah Fisk was a ...
.
Grue was co-owner of BJ's Lounge in the
Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans with her son, Teal Grue. The bar regularly hosts readings by local poets.
Personal life
Lee Meitzen married Ronald David Grue on October 28, 1963, and they were divorced on September 5, 2000.
The couple had three children: Celeste, Ian, and Teal.
Grue died on April 3, 2021, at her home in the
Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. She is survived by her children and four grandchildren.
Awards and honors
*
Albert Nelson Marquis
Albert Nelson Marquis (January 10, 1855 - December 21, 1943) was a Chicago publisher best known for creating the '' Who's Who'' book series, starting with ''Who's Who in America'' which was first published in 1899.(22 December 1943)Albert N. Marqu ...
Lifetime Achievement Award (2018)
* Poetry and Short Story Award from the Deep South Writer Association (1994)
* Short Story Award (second place) from Deep South Writer's Conference (1989)
* Syndicated Fiction Award from PEN (1984)
Fellowships
* Visiting scholar, Newcomb Center for Research on Women (2003– )
* Ledig House (1998)
* Virginia Center of Creative Arts (1986, 1988, 1991)
* Senior Fellow, National Education Association (1984–85)
Works
* ''Mending for Memory: Sewing in Louisiana'' (edited by Lee Meitzen Grue and
Susan Tucker, 2017)
* ''Blood at the Root: A Novel'' (2015)
* ''Downtown'' (2011)
* ''Three Poets in New Orleans'' (in collaboration with
Biljana D. Obradović and Patricia A. Ward, 2000)
* ''Live!: On Frenchman Street'' (sound recording with Eluard Burt, as the New Orleans Jazz and Poetry Ensemble, 2000)
* ''Goodbye Silver, Silver Cloud'' (1994)
* ''In the Sweet Balance of the Flesh'' (1990)
* ''French Quarter Poems'' (1979)
* ''Trains and Other Intrusions: A Chapbook of Poetry'' (1974)
Notable poems
* "In the Garden" (04 Sep 2012)
* "Snug Harbor" (04 Oct 2011)
* "The Old Ice House on Chartres Street" (2 May 2011)
* "The Catahoula Hound Visits the Dream of Jean Pierre" (10 Jan 2011)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grue, Lee Meitzen
1934 births
2021 deaths
20th-century American poets
21st-century American poets
21st-century American novelists
American women poets
American women novelists
Poets from Louisiana
Novelists from Louisiana
Writers from New Orleans
People from Plaquemine, Louisiana
University of New Orleans alumni
Warren Wilson College alumni
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women writers