Rukeyser, Muriel, 1913-1980

Muriel Rukeyser was an American poet, playwright, biographer, and writer of children's literature.

From the description of Muriel Rukeyser collection of papers, 1920-1976 bulk (1931-1976). (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122570595

From the guide to the Muriel Rukeyser collection of papers, 1920-1976, 1931-1976, (The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature.)

American poet.

From the description of Letter : to Sanders Russell, [between 1947 and 1955?]. (University of California, San Diego). WorldCat record id: 32416000

From the description of Letter, 1937 Dec. 10. (University of California, San Diego). WorldCat record id: 32334399

Poet and biographer.

From the description of Muriel Rukeyser papers, 1844-1986 (bulk 1930-1979). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70982453

American poet and political activist.

From the description of Muriel Rukeyser papers, 1927-1967 (Vassar College). WorldCat record id: 722500103

American poet and political activist Muriel Rukeyser was born December 15, 1913, in New York, New York.

She began her five-decade literary career in 1935 when her book of poetry, Theory of Flight, based on flying lessons she took at Roosevelt Aviation School, was selected for publication and the Yale Younger Poets prize.

Rukeyser's published works include more than a dozen poetry collections that often had themes of social activism or social protest, which reflected her personal involvement with many political causes throughout the world, such as the Spanish Civil War, Vietnam War, and death penalty cases. She died February 12, 1980, in her home city of New York.

American poet David Louis Posner was born August 6, 1921, in New York to Nell and Louis S. Posner. Although his father was born in Britain, he worked as a lawyer on Wall Street and later became Commissioner of Education for New York City. In 1945, Posner received his B.A. from Kenyon College where he majored in French and in 1947 he received his M.A. in English Literature from Harvard. Posner studied at the Sorbonne, worked for French radio, and pursed an interest in archeology. He published seven books of poetry.

"Muriel Rukeyser" in Literature Resource Center. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC?locID=udel_main (accessed October 2008). "David Posner" in Literature Resource Center. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/LitRC?locID=udel_main (accessed October 2008).

From the guide to the Muriel Rukeyser letters to David Posner, 1942–1944, (University of Delaware Library - Special Collections)

Biographical Note

• 1913, Dec. 15: Born, New York, N.Y.
• 1930 - 1932 : Attended Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
• 1932: Arrested during second Scottsboro trial
• 1935: Associate editor, New Theater Published Theory of Flight. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press
• 1936: Traveled to England and Spain
• 1938: Published U.S. 1. New York: Covici, Friede Inc.
• 1939: Published A Turning Wind. New York: Viking Press
• 1941: Associate editor, Decision
• 1942: National Institute of Arts and Letters Award Published Willard Gibbs. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Co.
• 1943: Visual information specialist, Graphics Division, United States Office of War Information Guggenheim fellowship
• 1944: Member, Writers' War Board
• 1945: Lecturer, California Labor School Married Glyn Collins (divorced 1945)
• 1947: Awarded Levinson Prize for Poetry
• 1948: Published The Green Wave. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Co.
• 1949: Published Orpheus. San Francisco: Centaur Press Published The Life of Poetry. New York: Current Books
• 1951: Published Selected Poems. New York: New Directions Publishing Corp.
• 1955 - 1967 : Faculty member, Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, N.Y.
• 1957: Published One Life. New York: Simon and Schuster
• 1958: Published Body of Waking. New York: Harper & Brothers
• 1961: Published I Go Out. New York: Harper & Brothers
• 1962: Published Waterlily Fire: Poems, 1935-62. New York: Macmillan & Co.
• 1963: American Council of Learned Societies fellowship
• 1965: Published The Orgy. New York: Coward-McCann
• 1967: Member, Board of Directors, Teachers-Writers Collaborative Published Bubbles. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World
• 1968: Swedish Academy Translation Award Published The Speed of Darkness. New York: Random House
• 1971: Published The Traces of Thomas Hariot. New York: Random House
• 1972: Published 29 Poems. London: Rapp and Whiting
• 1973: Traveled to Hanoi, North Vietnam Published Breaking Open. New York: Random House
• 1975 - 1976 : President, American Center of P.E.N.
• 1976: Published The Gates. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
• 1977: Copernicus Award Shelley Memorial Award
• 1978: Published The Collected Poems of Muriel Rukeyser. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co.
• 1980, Feb. 12: Died, New York, N.Y.
• 1981: Posthumous publication of More Night. New York: Harper & Row

From the guide to the Muriel Rukeyser Papers, 1844-1986, (bulk 1930-1979), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)