poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
, essayist, and professor. She has published many collections of poetry, the most recent of which, ''Dunce'' (Wave Books, 2019), was longlisted for the
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors.
The Nat ...
in Poetry and was a finalist for the 2020
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
. Ruefle's debut collection of prose, ''The Most Of It'', appeared in 2008 and her collected lectures, ''Madness, Rack, and Honey'', was published in August 2012, both published by
Wave Books
Wave Books (established 2005) is an American independent press focusing on the publication of poetry, with a focus on innovative, contemporary poetry and poetry in translation. This independent publisher has published books by CAConrad, Don Mee ...
. She has also published a book of erasures, ''A Little White Shadow'' (2006).
She has been widely published in magazines and journals including ''The American Poetry Review,'' ''Verse Daily,'' ''The Believer,'' ''Harper's Magazine,'' and ''The Kenyon Review,'' and in such anthologies as ''Best American Poetry, Great American Prose Poems'' (2003), ''American Alphabets: 25 Contemporary Poets'' (2006), and ''The Next American Essay'' (2002).
The daughter of a military officer, Ruefle was born in
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is situated at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 17,727 as of the 2020 census. It ...
in 1952, but spent her early years traveling around the U.S. and Europe. She graduated from
Bennington College
Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932 as a women's college, it became co-educational in 1969. It claims to be the first college to include visual and performing arts as an equal partner in ...
in 1974 with a degree in Literature. She currently teaches at the
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is a private graduate-level art school in Montpelier, Vermont. It offers Master's degrees in low-residency and residential programs. Its faculty includes Pulitzer Prize finalists, National Book Award winners, ...
. In 2011, she served as the prestigious Bedell Distinguished Visiting Professor at the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
's Nonfiction Writing Program. In 2019, she was named
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) ...
of the state of
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
.
Awards and honors
* 1984
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...
fellowship.
* 1995 Whiting Award
* 1998 Award in Literature from the
American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
* 1999
Frost Place
The Frost Place is a museum and nonprofit educational center for poetry located at Robert Frost's former home on Ridge Road in Franconia, New Hampshire, Franconia, New Hampshire, United States. The property was listed on the National Register of ...
residency
* 2002 Guggenheim fellowship in poetry
* 2007 Lannan Foundation residency
* 2011
William Carlos Williams Award
The William Carlos Williams Award is given out by the Poetry Society of America for a poetry book published by a small press, non-profit, or university press.
The award is endowed by the family and friends of Geraldine Clinton Little, a poet and ...
for ''Selected Poems''
* 2012
National Book Critics Circle Award
The National Book Critics Circle Awards are a set of annual American literary awards by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".
William Carlos Williams Award
The William Carlos Williams Award is given out by the Poetry Society of America for a poetry book published by a small press, non-profit, or university press.
The award is endowed by the family and friends of Geraldine Clinton Little, a poet and ...
, 2011)
*
* ''Indeed I Was Pleased with the World'' (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2007)
* ''A Little White Shadow'' (Wave Books, 2006)
* ''Tristimania'' (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2004)
* ''Apparition Hill'' (CavanKerry Press, 2002)
* ''Among the Musk Ox People'' (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2002)
* ''Post Meridian'' (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 1999)
* ''Cold Pluto'' (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 1996; Classic Contemporary version 2001)
* ''The Adamant'' (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 1989)
* ''Life Without Speaking'' (University of Alabama Press, 1987)
* ''Memling's Veil'' (University of Alabama Press, 1982)
*
Prose collections
* ''My Private Property''
Wave Books
Wave Books (established 2005) is an American independent press focusing on the publication of poetry, with a focus on innovative, contemporary poetry and poetry in translation. This independent publisher has published books by CAConrad, Don Mee ...
, 2016)
* ''The Most of It'' (
Wave Books
Wave Books (established 2005) is an American independent press focusing on the publication of poetry, with a focus on innovative, contemporary poetry and poetry in translation. This independent publisher has published books by CAConrad, Don Mee ...
Wave Books
Wave Books (established 2005) is an American independent press focusing on the publication of poetry, with a focus on innovative, contemporary poetry and poetry in translation. This independent publisher has published books by CAConrad, Don Mee ...
, 2012)
Essays
* (Online Edition Only)
Erasure
Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...