Her wellmade poems and stories are two ways of coming at the same immemorial preoccupations. In addition, she has shown her literary versatility in publishing four novels and more than twenty childrens books. Poems of new england, new and selected 0060124741 book cover. Second printing, in wrappers, of this pulitzer prizewinning poetry collection. Maxine kumin june 6, 1925 february 6, 2014 was an american poet and author. Though i usually enjoy illustrations accompanying poems. When, in the books final poem, she states firmly that we have our own constants and to be reasonable is to let go, we are fully prepared to believe her. Bill brettglobe photofile maxine lasted the longest of that generation, said. Up country poems of new england maxine kumin barbara swan.
Maxine kumin, pulitzerwinning poet with a naturalists precision. Kumins many awards include the eunice tietjens memorial prize for poetry 1972, the pulitzer prize for poetry 1973 for up country, in 1995 the aiken taylor award for modern american poetry, the 1994 poets prize for looking for luck. Up country, by maxine kumin harper the pulitzer prizes. Maxine kumin nee winokur was born to a reform jewish family in germantown, pennsylvania. Themes loneliness about maxine kumin sign up for poemaday receive a new poem in your inbox daily. There are fortyone poems and seventeen striking drawings by barbara swan. Country 1972, for which she won the pulitzer prize, m. She attended catholic and public schools before earning a ba and ma from radcliffe college and married victor kumin in 1946 while still a student, and she would have two daughters and a son. Yet she published her first book, halfway, in 1961.
Set in contemporary vietnam, the the novel features the return of the character of paul brenner, a investigator for the united states army criminal investigation division and the protagonist of demilles the generals daughter 1992. Up country by maxine kumin first edition 1972 from. Sexton suffered severe depression and kumin had helped sexton through suicide attempts. She has served as a library of congress consultant on. Dj unclipped, with light wear to corners and spine edges, very light scuff marks. Maxine kumin is the author of 18 collections of poetry, from her first collection, halfway, published in 1961 when she was 36 years old to her final collection, and short the season, published in 2014 after she died at the age of 88. Maxine kumin, pulitzerwinning poet with a naturalists.
The special world of rural new england is the focus of maxine kumin s new volume of poems. Maxine kumin has served as poetry consultant to the library of congress 198182, and poet laureate of the state of new hampshire 198994. While she never considered herself a confessional poet, she chronicled her experiences as a daughter, sister, woman, mother, wife, teacher. Feb 02, 2021 kumin s first book of poetry, halfway, was published in 1961.
Maxine kumin was born in philadelphia, pennsylvania, in 1925. Poems of new england, which received the pulitzer prize. See all books authored by maxine kumin, including the microscope, and selected poems 19601990, and more on. A former us poet laureate, she and her husband lived on a farm in new hampshire. Kumin said sexton helped her to see that nothing was offlimits in poetry, writing, she helped me to open up in ways i might not have achieved on my own. Kumin won the pulitzer in 1973 for up country, her fourth volume of verse. First edition, signed by author on half title page. Feb 08, 2014 maxine kumin sat for a portrait in her newton home after she was awarded the pulitzer prize for poetry in 1973. American poet maxine kumin 19252014 is the author of childrens books. American writer and poet maxine kumin born 1925 has published numerous books of poetry, including the pulitzer prizewinning volume up country. The author of numerous collections of poetry, maxine kumin received the pulitzer prize for her book up country. To make a prairie the university of michigan press. Kumin continued to publish regularly over the next three decades.
Up country poems of new england, new and selected, kumin, maxine on. Germantown native maxine kumin has published numerous books of poetry, including connecting the dots and up country, for which she was awarded the. Poems of new england, new and selected kumin, maxine w. Kumins first book of poetry, halfway, was published in 1961. Maxine kumin s book acknowledges its debt to thoreau, though in my opinion kumin s poetry gives us a sharpedged, unflinching and occasionally nightmarish subjectivity exasperatingly absent in thoreau. It was sexton who gave kumin the title for her pulitzer prizewinning collection, up country. This statement is particularly significant for what it implies about kumin s jewish background and the role it has played in her worka role frequently overlooked by readers and critics. Inscribed by the author to another poet and novelist. Maxine kumin s 17th poetry collection, published in the spring of 2010, is where i live. Kumin s new hampshire farm was the inspiration for her collection up country.
Though i usually enjoy illustrations accompanying poems, the ones in this old paper back didnt work for me, but the words certainly did. Kumin won the pulitzer prize for poetry in 1973 for this work which i thoroughly enjoyed. Aug 08, 1982 our ground time here will be brief contains selections from maxine kumin s first six volumes as well as 29 new poems, all but one of them gems. The retrieval system, maxine kumins sixth book of poetry, is about surviving loss. The book examined life on and around the tumbledown new. Up country poems of new england maxine kumin barbara swan etsy. She also published more than 20 childrens books, a memoir, five. This was the pulitzer prize winning poetry title for 1973, the text includes fortyone poems by kumin and seventeen penandink drawings by barbara swan. Jun 21, 2020 poet maxine kumin is shown sitting at a friends house in dedham, mass. Specially signed by both kumin and swan on the half title page in black ink. Maxine kumin, poet and author 19252014 maxine kumin was the author of eighteen poetry collections as well as numerous novels, essays, memoirs, and childrens books. Many of these early works were collected in kumins first book of poems, halfway. She also published more than 20 childrens books, a memoir, five novels, several books of essays, and a collection of short stories. With a cleareyed vision of the natural world, relationships, mortality and the inner lives of women, kumin became one of the country s most honored poets, whose fourth book of poetry, up.
Abebooks seller since october 9, 2012 seller rating. Kumins many awards include the eunice tietjens memorial prize for poetry 1972, the pulitzer prize for poetry 1973 for up country, in 1995 the aiken taylor award for modern american poetry, the 1994 poets prize for looking for luck, an american academy and institute of arts and letters award for excellence in. Set in contemporary vietnam, the the novel features the return of the character of paul brenner, a investigator for the united states army criminal investigation division and the protagonist of demilles the. Prize for poetry for up country, the 1994 poets prize for looking for luck. Maxine kumin 19252014 was born in philadelphia, pennsylvania. Maxine kumin, awarded a pulitzer prize for her book up country, held an appointment as consultant in poetry to the library of congress. Occasions summer about maxine kumin sign up for poemaday receive a new poem in your inbox daily. She was the author of 18 poetry collections, including up country. Her awards include the pulitzer and ruth lilly poetry prizes, the poets prize, and the harvard arts and robert frost medals. Dugan reads a short poem and a long poem on riding the long island railroad as a kid and thirteen poems from poem 4. Maxine kumin s book up country acknowledges its debt to thoreau, though in my opinion kumin s poetry gives us a sharpedged, unflinching and occasionally nightmarish subjectivity. Poems of new england, new and selected by maxine kumin 4. In 1957, she began writing seriously and published her first book, halfway 1961. She was selected as the poetry consultant to the library of congress in 1981, and later as the poet laureate for the state of new hampshire in 1989.
Maxine kumin, american pulitzer prizewinning poet, novelist, essayist, and childrens author. Ascutney just after dawn with the sky filled with birdsong and the gardens ripening behind me, was the perfect place to immerse myself in her new england poems. Louis simpson chair professor of english and comparative literature, stony brook university. Boards tight and square, endpapers and pages clean and unmarked, tight in binding. The book examined life on and around the tumbledown new hampshire farm the couple had bought in 1963, on which they. First edition, first printing of the poets pulitzer prize winning collection. When maxine kumin joined anne sexton in 1957 in studying poetry with john holmes in boston, she and anne became dear friends and wrote childrens books together before anne sexton committed suicide. Alan dugan and maxine kumin reading and discussing their. After her death in february 2014, her books were transf. The experience of up country s 42 poems is dramatic and visionary, but above all convincing. The setting is rural new england, but the imagination is boundless. Poems of new england1972 won the 1973 pulitzer prize.
In 1961, she began her teaching career as an english instructor at tufts and has since held appointments at many american colleges and universities. Maxine kumin books list of books by author maxine kumin. Kumin s poetry is exact, formal, intensely crafted, while sexton wrote dramatically about breakdown and death. Kumin continued to publish regularly over the next three decades alongside teaching at a number of wellknown universities, including princeton, colombia and mit. Up country, for adults returns to childrens lit with 19 poems that rove from whimsically anthropomorphic to factually accurate. Up country is a thriller novel by nelson demille released in 2002. Title alan dugan and maxine kumin reading and discussing their poems in the coolidge auditorium, oct. She was selected as the poetry consultant to the library of congress in 1981, and later.
Poems of new england, new and selected volume 212 of memoire des siecles winner of the 1973 pulitzer prize for poetry. Kumin taught writing at princeton university, the massachusetts institute of technology, columbia university, and tufts university. Jack by maxine kumin poems academy of american poets. Poems of new england 1972, which won the pulitzer prize. A delightful gift for all who love this region, it is also a fine collection of new and selected pastoral poems by a poet whose work has been widely published and praised. Find up country poems of new england, new and selected, 0060124733 by kumin, maxine. Swan, kumin, and poet anne sexton were personal friends, and swan also illustrated sextons pulitzer prize winning book. See all books authored by maxine kumin, including the microscope, and. Books by maxine kumin author of the pawnbrokers daughter. An enduring presence in american poetry, maxine kumins career spanned over half.
796 501 130 482 465 1236 1496 498 492 1014 652 407 349 941 765 1273 423 1180 1559 513 596 559 812 443 1248 288 271 209 939 1501 743 957