Macleod, Norman, 1906-1985

American editor, educator, and poet Norman Wicklund Macleod was born October 1, 1906, in Salem, Oregon.

Norman Wickland Macleod, professor, novelist, poet, editor, was born October 1, 1906 in Salem, Oregon. He received his B.A. at the University of New Mexico in 1930. He was influential to students in the fields of creative writing and poetry.

American editor, educator, and poet Norman Wicklund Macleod was born October 1, 1906, in Salem, Oregon. After receiving a B.A. from the University of New Mexico in 1930, Macleod continued his education at the University of Southern California (1931– 1932) and the University of Oklahoma (1934), before receiving a master's degree from Columbia University in 1936.

Norman Macleod began his editing career as the American editor of Front (Netherlands) and Morada (Italy), serving both from 1930–1932. From 1932 to 1978 Macleod worked in a variety of editing positions, including reader and circulation assistant for Harper & Brothers (1932–1934), editorial director of the Maryland Quarterly (1942–1944) and Briarcliff Quarterly (1944–1947), guest editor of Cronos (1947), and editor of Pembroke Magazine (1969–1978).

Macleod began teaching in 1939 as instructor in poetry at the New York Poetry Center, where he worked until 1942. From 1942 until 1978, he was on the faculty of numerous high schools, colleges, and universities, including the University of Maryland, San Francisco State College, and the University of Baghdad (Iraq). His final and most lengthy residence was as Associate Professor of English, poet-in-residence, and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Pembroke State University in Pembroke, North Carolina (1967–1978).

Although Macleod is most often recognized for his poetry, he also wrote two novels, You Get What You Ask For (1939) and The Bitter Roots (1941), plus an autobiography, I Never Lost Anything in Istanbul (1978). His collections of poetry include his first book, Horizons of Death, published by Parnassus in 1934, as well as Thanksgiving Before November (1936), We Thank You All the Time (1941), A Man in Midpassage (1947), Pure as Nowhere (1962), Selected Poems (1975), and The Distance: New and Selected Poems, 1928-1977 (1977).

Norman Macleod was awarded the Horace Gregory Award in 1973 for his work as a poet, novelist, editor, and teacher. On June 5, 1985, Macleod died in Greenville, North Carolina.

Locher, Frances Carol (ed.) Contemporary Authors. Volumes 73-76. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1978. pp. 390-391. May, Hal (ed.) Contemporary Authors. Volume 116. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1986. p. 297.

Norman Wicklund Macleod was born in Salem, Oregon in 1906. His tumultuous life, involving numerous failed marriages and problems with alcoholism, was marked by his literary accomplishments. He received his B.A. at the University of New Mexico in 1930. Encouraged by his second wife, Vivienne Koch, Macleod earned his M.A. in the teaching of English from Teachers College, Columbia University, in 1936. He was influential to students in the fields of creative writing and poetry. Indeed, his own strengths were in these fields and he promoted such creativity in others through his teaching and his founding of the YMHA (Young Mens Hebrew Association) in New York in 1939. As early as the 1930s, Macleod publicly attacked racism and fought for minority rights. He authored two novels ( You Get What You Ask For, 1939, The Bitter Roots, 1941), seven volumes of poetry ( Horizons of Death, 1934, Thanksgiving Before November, 1936, We Thank You All the Time, 1941, A Man in Midpassage, 1947, Pure as Nowhere, 1952, Selected Poems, 1975, and The Distance, 1977), and edited nine literary magazines (including Jackass, Palo Verde, Front, Maryland Quarterly, and the Briarcliff Quarterly ).

His most recent editing work took place with Pembroke Magazine, published out of Pembroke State University, North Carolina, where Macleod served as poet-in-residence later in his life. This magazine featured poetry by students, former students, and faculty of Pembroke State University, as well as by well known poets. Among the poets featured are W.S Graham, Simon Ortiz, and William Carlos Williams. It also featured art by R.C. Gorman, Gene Locklear, Georgia OKeeffe, and Kris Hotvedt, Santa Fe artist with whom Macleod carried on a lengthy correspondence. Pembroke Magazine also featured Macleods memoirs, "I Never Lost Anything in Istanbul," published in installments. Macleod noted that the purpose of this literary magazine was to "stimulate, encourage, and publish the best writers on this campus and others in North Carolina, and also to publish work of literary interest by Pembroke faculty and by nationally known writers." Others considered that the strength of the magazine was in its focus on publishing the poetic and artistic works of artists of ethnic minorities.

Macleod was the recipient of the 1973 Horace Gregory Award from the New School of Social research in New York, created "to honor distinguished emeritus faculty members in American who have combined careers as classroom teachers with creative achievement in the field of letters."Among Macleods friends, colleagues, and contemporaries are William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, Langston Hughes, Upton Sinclair, D.H. Lawrence, and Kay Boyle. Macleod resided for some time in New Mexico, and this is reflected in the themes common to his poetry.