Jonathan Holden
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Holden, the first Poet Laureate
of Kansas
, is a Professor
of English at Kansas State University
, Manhattan, Kansas
. Chosen in 2004, his two year term began July 1, 2005. He was succeeded by Denise Low
on July 1, 2007.
. He received a B.A.
in English
from Oberlin College
in 1963. From 1963 to 1965, he was an editorial
assistant for Cambridge Book Company in Bronxville, New Jersey
. He then taught math at a high school in West Orange, New Jersey
until 1968. In 1970, he received an M.A.
in creative writing from San Francisco State College. He received a Ph D in English from the University of Colorado in 1974. From 1974 to 1978, he was " poet-in-residence at Stephens College
in Columbia, Missouri
. He moved to Manhattan, Kansas
in 1978 where he joined Kansas State University
. There he became "poet in residence" and University Distinguished Professor of English. In 1991, he became Thursten P. Morton Professor at the University of Louisville
. In 2000, he served on the Pulitzer Prize
poetry selection committee. In 2004, the governor appointed him poet laureate, with his term beginning the following July 1, 2005.
As Poet Laureate, Holden was also active as an advisor for "kansaspoets.com", a website specifically dedicated to Kansas poets and poetry. As well, Holden was guest editor for The Midwest Quarterly. The particular issue cited features over 60 Kansas poets plus special recognition to both Jonathan Holden and Denise Low. The issue received a very positive review from Literary Magazine Review (V. 25 Nos. 3 & 4 Fall & Winter), Jennifer Brantley, editor.
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, is a Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of English at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
, Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
. Chosen in 2004, his two year term began July 1, 2005. He was succeeded by Denise Low
Denise Low
Denise Low is an American poet, honored as the second Kansas Poet Laureate . A professor at Haskell Indian Nations University, Low teaches literature, creative writing and American Indian Studies courses at the university. She was succeeded by Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg on July 1, 2009.-Biography:Low...
on July 1, 2007.
Biography/education
Holden was born in 1941 in Morristown, New JerseyMorristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
. He received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
from Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in 1963. From 1963 to 1965, he was an editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
assistant for Cambridge Book Company in Bronxville, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He then taught math at a high school in West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
until 1968. In 1970, he received an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in creative writing from San Francisco State College. He received a Ph D in English from the University of Colorado in 1974. From 1974 to 1978, he was " poet-in-residence at Stephens College
Stephens College
Stephens College is a women's college located in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833 as the Columbia Female Academy. In 1856, David H. Hickman turned it into a college,...
in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
. He moved to Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan, Kansas
Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...
in 1978 where he joined Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
. There he became "poet in residence" and University Distinguished Professor of English. In 1991, he became Thursten P. Morton Professor at the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
. In 2000, he served on the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
poetry selection committee. In 2004, the governor appointed him poet laureate, with his term beginning the following July 1, 2005.
As Poet Laureate
During his tenure as Kansas Poet Laureate, Holden instigated a statewide video teleconf program titled SHOPTALK, in conjunction with Kansas State University’s TELENET 2 program. SHOPTALK provided insight to poetry and poetry writing; the program provided a platform for Mr. Holden to have interactive poetry discussions with a live audience. Several notable Kansas poets appeared as guests on the program.As Poet Laureate, Holden was also active as an advisor for "kansaspoets.com", a website specifically dedicated to Kansas poets and poetry. As well, Holden was guest editor for The Midwest Quarterly. The particular issue cited features over 60 Kansas poets plus special recognition to both Jonathan Holden and Denise Low. The issue received a very positive review from Literary Magazine Review (V. 25 Nos. 3 & 4 Fall & Winter), Jennifer Brantley, editor.
Publications and awards
Jonathan Holden has published 18 books, all monographs, in addition to more than 190 poems published in professional journals.Publications
- Design for a House, U. of Missouri Press, 1972
- The Mark to Turn: A Reading of William Stafford's Poetry, University Press of Kansas, 1976.
- The Rhetoric of the Contemporary Lyric, Indiana University Press, 1980.
- Leverage (poems), University Press of Virginia, 1983
- Falling from Stardom (poems), Carnegie-Mellon U. Press, 1984.
- The Names of the Rapids, U. of Mass Press, 1985.
- Style and Authenticity of Postmodern Poetry, U. of Missouri Press, 1986.
- Landscapes of the Self: The Development of Richard Hugo's Poetry, Associated Faculty Press, 1986.
- Against Paradise (poems), U. of Utah Press, 1990.
- The Fate of American Poetry, U. of Georgia Press, 1991
- American Gothic (poems), U. of Georgia Press, 1992.
- Brilliant Kids (a novel), U. of Utah Press, 1992.
- The Sublime (poems), U. of North Texas Press, 1995.
- Guns and Boyhood in America, U. of Michigan Press, 1997.
- The Old Formalism: Character in Contemporary American Poetry, U. of Arkansas Press, 1999.
- Knowing: New and Selected Poems, U. of Arkansas Press, 2000.
- Mama's Boys: A Double Life, Lewis-Clark Press, 2007
Awards
- 1972 Devins Award for PoetryDevins Award for PoetryThe Devins Award for Poetry is an American literary award for a book of poetry in the English language.This prize of the University of Missouri Press in Columbia, Missouri, USA was made possible with funding by Dr. and Mrs. A...
- 1974 National Endowment for the HumanitiesNational Endowment for the HumanitiesThe National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
grant - 1975 Borestone Mountain Poetry AwardsBorestone Mountain Poetry AwardsThe Borestone Mountain Poetry Awards was an annual series of poetry anthologies first published in 1949. The poems were selected from those published in a given year in English-language magazines and books; in each volume, individual poems were designated as first, second, or third place in a...
- 1978 Aspen Foundation for the Arts Prize
- 1979 Kansas Quarterly first award
- 1982 Associated Writing Programs award series in poetry
- 1984, 1985 National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the ArtsThe National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
creative writing fellowship - 1985 Juniper Prize
- 1986 Distinguished Faculty Award
- 1995 Vassar Miller Prize
Sources
- www.jonathanholden.com
- www.kansaspoets.com
- Biles, Jan . "Passion for poetry drives incoming poet laureate." The Capital-Journal. May 26, 2007. Online. May 2, 2008.
- Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008. Document Number: H1000046450. Online. May 2, 2008.
- Eberhart, John Mark."State lines: Rhyme on one side, no reason on the other." Kansas City Star. 2004-12-26. Page 7. Online. May 2, 2008.
- K-State media guide -- Jonathan Holden bio. Online. May 2, 2008.]