Swenson, May
Variant namesMay Swenson (1913-1989) was born in Logan, Utah. Graduated from Utah State University in 1934. Notable author and poet. Became the editor for New Directions Press in 1959. Frequently classified as a nature poet, Swenson received much praise for her descriptions of natural phenomena and her sensory tone. Her chief themes were animal and human behavior, sexuality, death, and the nature of art and perception.
From the description of May Swenson papers, 1932-1998. (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 70049609
May Swenson was born on May 28, 1913, in Logan, Utah, the daughter of Swedish immigrants. (Her father, Dan Swenson, was a professor of mechanical engineering at Utah State University.) Following her graduation from USU in 1934 she took a job as a reporter for the Deseret News . A year later she moved to New York City where she worked in a variety of jobs, including as a stenographer, until she became the editor for New Directions Press in 1959. In 1966 Swenson quit working as an editor in order to devote herself full time to writing. For the remainder of her life she lived in Sea Cliff, New York. She died on December 4, 1989, and was buried in Logan.
Swenson's trademark was her use of complex wordplay in her poems, which frequently took the form of riddles or unusual arrangements of the words on the page. These "iconographs" often were arranged to resemble the shape of the poem's subject. Frequently classified as a nature poet, Swenson received much praise for her descriptions of natural phenomena and her sensory tone. Her chief themes were animal and human behavior, sexuality, death, and the nature of art and perception. Swenson's poetry has often been compared to the writings of Elizabeth Bishop, e.e. cummings, and Gertrude Stein. Over the course of her career, Swenson published seven volumes of poetry (see list below). In addition to her poetry, Swenson also wrote three books of poems for children, a play, three short stories, and a book of translated poems by the Swedish author, Tomas Tranströmer. Several additional volumes of Swenson poetry have been published posthumously.
May Swenson received a wide variety of recognitions and honors during her career, including serving as poet-in-residence at several universities in the United States and Canada during the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was the recipient of Guggenheim, Ford, Rockefeller, and MacArthur fellowships and a National Endowment for the Arts grant. In 1972 she received a medal from the International Poetry Forum for her translation of Tranströmer. Swenson also received the Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America, the Bollingen Prize from Yale University, and an Award in Literature from the National Institute of Arts and Letters. She was also elected a member of the latter organization, as well as the Academy of American Poets of which she later served as chancellor. In 1967 she received a Distinguished Service Gold Medal from Utah State University, and in 1987 an honorary doctor of letters.
- Books of Poetry:
- Another Animal (1954)
- A Cage of Spines (1958)
- To Mix with Time (1963)
- Half Sun Half Sleep (1967)
- Iconographs (1970)
- New and Selected Things Taking Place (1978)
- In Other Words (1987)
From the guide to the Swenson, May, 1932-1998, (Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives)
Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
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creatorOf | Luening, Otto, 1900-1996. The tiger's ghost / [words by] May Swenson ; [music by] Otto Luening. | New York Public Library System, NYPL | |
creatorOf | Aldan, Daisy. Papers, 1946-1966. | Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center | |
creatorOf | Ostriker, Alicia. Office files of The American Poetry Review, 197x. | University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library | |
referencedIn | Leach, Timothy. Papers, 1964-1965. | Washington University in St. Louis, . | |
referencedIn | Nell Blaine papers | Houghton Library | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May. Living tenderly. | Ball State University Library, Bracken Library | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May. Papers, 1989. | Harold B. Lee Library | |
referencedIn | Smith, Gary M., 1943-. Gary Smith photograph collection, 1960-1988. | Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library | |
referencedIn | Aaron Kramer papers, ca. 1940 -1986. | Houghton Library | |
referencedIn | Nielsen, Veneta Leatham, 1909-. Veneta L. Nielsen papers, 1945-1998. | Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library | |
referencedIn | American Review records, 1967-1977 | Bentley Historical Library | |
referencedIn | Poetry mss., 1954-2002 | Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington) | |
referencedIn | John Ciardi Papers, 1910-1997, (bulk 1960-1985) | Library of Congress. Manuscript Division | |
referencedIn | Marguerite Harris Papers, 1901-1978 | Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center | |
referencedIn | Parnassus: poetry in review records, 1971-1996 | New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division | |
creatorOf | Anne Waldman Papers (1945-2012, bulk 1965-2000) | University of Michigan | |
referencedIn | Rich, Adrienne Cecile. Papers: Series I-II, 1933-1999 (inclusive). | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
referencedIn | New Directions Publishing records | Houghton Library | |
creatorOf | May Swenson poetry, 1964-1988 | L. Tom Perry Special Collections | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May, 1919-. Emily Dickinson: The mermaid in the basement : typescript signed : [n.p.], 1984 Mar. 31. | Pierpont Morgan Library. | |
referencedIn | Gary Smith Papers, 1960-1984 | Utah State University. Merrill-Cazier Library. Special Collections and ArchivesManuscript Collection | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May, 1932-1998 | Utah State University. Merrill-Cazier Library. Special Collections and ArchivesManuscript Collection | |
referencedIn | Meredith, William, 1919-2007. William Meredith papers, 1947-1979. | Library of Congress | |
creatorOf | Pomegranate Press. Pomegranate Press archives, 1972-1981. | Pennsylvania State University Libraries | |
referencedIn | Jean Burden Papers, 1931-1992 | Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center | |
creatorOf | Swanson, Howard, 1907-1978. Snowdunes / music by Howard Swanson ; [text by May S]wenson. | The Juilliard School, Lila Acheson Wallace Library | |
referencedIn | Fromm Music Foundation scores and recordings, 1943-2011. | Houghton Library | |
referencedIn | Van Duyn, Mona. Papers, 1942-1985. | Washington University in St. Louis, . | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May. Letter, 1957 Sept. 3, Peterboro, N.H. to Robert Frost. | Dartmouth College Library | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May. Letters, 1972-73, Sea Cliff, N.Y., to Stephen M. Savage, Cambridge, Mass. | Ball State University Library, Bracken Library | |
creatorOf | Sexton, Anne, 1928-1974. Anne Sexton Papers, 1912-1996, (bulk 1953-1974). | Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center | |
referencedIn | Elizabeth Bishop Papers | Vassar College | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May. Poetry, 1964-1988. | Harold B. Lee Library | |
creatorOf | Palaemon Press (Winston-Salem, N.C.). Editorial archive, 1974-1984. | Brown University Archives, John Hay Library | |
referencedIn | William Stanley Braithwaite Papers, 1916-1962 | Syracuse University. Library. Special Collections Research Center | |
referencedIn | Voice of America (Organization). Voice of America Forum Lectures in American Poetry series scripts, circa 1965. | Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library | |
creatorOf | Schulman, Grace. Office files, of The American Poetry Review, 1973-1993. | University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library | |
creatorOf | Van Duyn, Mona. Papers. | Washington University in St. Louis, . | |
referencedIn | Gary Smith photograph collection, 1960-1988 | Utah State University. Merrill-Cazier Library. Special Collections and Archives.Photograph Collections | |
referencedIn | Robert A. Wilson collection, 1906-2011 | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May. Letters, 1975, Sea Cliff, N.Y., to Kathleen Spivack and Roth Wilkofsky of Pomegranate Press, North Cambridge, Mass. | Ball State University Library, Bracken Library | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May. Office files, of The American Poetry Review, 1977-1994. | University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library | |
creatorOf | West, Ray Benedict, 1908-1990. Ray B. West papers, 1920-1965. | Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library | |
referencedIn | John Hollander Papers, circa 1950-2007 | Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library | |
creatorOf | Luening, Otto, 1900-1996. The tiger's ghost / [words by] May Swenson ; [music by] Otto Luening. | New York Public Library System, NYPL | |
referencedIn | Manuscripts and proofs of New Directions books, 1937-1997. | Houghton Library | |
creatorOf | Carpenter, Margaret Haley. Papers of Margaret Haley Carpenter [manuscript], 1898-1985, bulk 1953-1985. | University of Virginia. Library | |
creatorOf | Swenson, May. May Swenson papers, 1932-1998. | Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library | |
referencedIn | Veneta Nielsen Papers, 1945-1998 | Utah State University. Merrill-Cazier Library. Special Collections and ArchivesManuscript Collection | |
referencedIn | New Yorker records | New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division | |
referencedIn | Yaddo records, 1870-1980 | New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division |
Role | Title | Holding Repository |
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Filters:
Relation | Name | |
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associatedWith | Aldan, Daisy. | person |
associatedWith | American Review | corporateBody |
associatedWith | Bishop, Elizabeth, 1911-1979. | person |
correspondedWith | Blaine, Nell, 1922-1996 | person |
associatedWith | Braithwaite, William Stanley, 1878-1962 | person |
associatedWith | Burden, Jean. | person |
associatedWith | Carpenter, Margaret Haley. | person |
correspondedWith | Ciardi, John, 1916-1986. | person |
associatedWith | Fromm Music Foundation | corporateBody |
associatedWith | Frost, Robert, 1874-1963. | person |
associatedWith | Harris, Marguerite, Archives | person |
associatedWith | Hollander, John. | person |
correspondedWith | Kramer, Aaron, 1921- | person |
associatedWith | Laughlin, James. | person |
correspondedWith | Leach, Timothy. | person |
associatedWith | Luening, Otto, 1900-1996. | person |
associatedWith | MacGregor, Robert. | person |
correspondedWith | Meredith, William, 1919-2007. | person |
associatedWith | Modern Poetry Association | corporateBody |
associatedWith | Morrison, Kathleen, 1898- | person |
associatedWith | New Directions Publishing Corp. | corporateBody |
correspondedWith | New Yorker Magazine, Inc | corporateBody |
correspondedWith | Nielsen, Veneta Leatham, 1909- | person |
associatedWith | Ostriker, Alicia. | person |
associatedWith | Palaemon Press (Winston-Salem, N.C.) | corporateBody |
correspondedWith | Parnassus: poetry in review | corporateBody |
associatedWith | Pomegranate Press. | corporateBody |
associatedWith | Rich, Adrienne Cecile. | person |
associatedWith | Rowley, Dennis. | person |
associatedWith | Savage, Stephen M. | person |
associatedWith | Schulman, Grace. | person |
associatedWith | Sergeant, Elizabeth Shepley, 1881-1965. | person |
associatedWith | Sexton, Anne, 1928-1974. | person |
associatedWith | Smith, Gary M., 1943- | person |
associatedWith | Spivack, Kathleen. | person |
associatedWith | Swanson, Howard, 1907-1978. | person |
associatedWith | Swenson, May, 1919- | person |
associatedWith | Van Duyn, Mona. | person |
associatedWith | Voice of America (Organization) | corporateBody |
associatedWith | Waldman, Anne, 1945-. | person |
associatedWith | West, Ray Benedict, 1908-1990. | person |
associatedWith | Wilkofsky, Roth. | person |
associatedWith | Wilson, Robert A. (Robert Alfred), 1922- | person |
associatedWith | Yaddo (Artist's colony) | corporateBody |
Place Name | Admin Code | Country | |
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Utah |
Subject |
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Authors, American |
Authors, American |
Poets, American |
Poets, American |
Poets, American |
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences |
Literature |
Occupation |
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Activity |
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Person
Birth 1913-05-28
Death 1989-12-28
Americans
English