Josephine Miles
Encyclopedia
Josephine Miles was an American
poet and literary critic; the first woman to be tenure
d in the English Department
at the University of California, Berkeley
. She wrote over a dozen books of poetry and several works of criticism.
Born in Chicago in 1911, she moved around a lot with her family, eventually relocating to Southern California. Due to a disabling arthritis, she was educated at home by tutors, but was able to graduate from Los Angeles High School in a class which included the composer John Cage
.
Miles attended the University of California, Los Angeles
, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature before moving to the University of California, Berkeley
to pursue her doctorate. She remained in Berkeley for the rest of her life, receiving many highly-coveted fellowships and awards until her death in May 1985. She was the first woman to receive tenure in the English Department at Berkeley and, at the time of her death, held the position of University Professor, one of the rarest and most prestigious honors in academic life.
She was fascinated with Beat
poetry and was both a host and critic to many Beat poets from her chair at Berkeley. Most notably, she helped Allen Ginsberg
publish Howl by recommending it to Richard Eberhart
, who would publish an article in the New York Times praising the poem. She was also the founder of the internationally distributed Berkeley Poetry Review
in 1974 on the U.C. Berkeley campus.
The PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
was established in her honor to recognize achievement in multicultural literature.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet and literary critic; the first woman to be tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
d in the English Department
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.,...
at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. She wrote over a dozen books of poetry and several works of criticism.
Born in Chicago in 1911, she moved around a lot with her family, eventually relocating to Southern California. Due to a disabling arthritis, she was educated at home by tutors, but was able to graduate from Los Angeles High School in a class which included the composer John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
.
Miles attended the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature before moving to the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
to pursue her doctorate. She remained in Berkeley for the rest of her life, receiving many highly-coveted fellowships and awards until her death in May 1985. She was the first woman to receive tenure in the English Department at Berkeley and, at the time of her death, held the position of University Professor, one of the rarest and most prestigious honors in academic life.
She was fascinated with Beat
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
poetry and was both a host and critic to many Beat poets from her chair at Berkeley. Most notably, she helped Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
publish Howl by recommending it to Richard Eberhart
Richard Eberhart
Richard Ghormley Eberhart was an American poet who published more than a dozen books of poetry and approximately twenty works in total...
, who would publish an article in the New York Times praising the poem. She was also the founder of the internationally distributed Berkeley Poetry Review
Berkeley Poetry Review
The Berkeley Poetry Review is a widely-distributed American poetry journal published by the undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley and is considered the premier student-run poetry journal in the United States...
in 1974 on the U.C. Berkeley campus.
The PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award
According to its website, PEN Oakland was founded in 1989 by Ishmael Reed, who came up with the idea, and co-founders Floyd Salas, Reginald Lockett and Claire Ortalda, in order to “promote works of excellence by writers of all cultural and racial backgrounds and to educate both the public and the...
was established in her honor to recognize achievement in multicultural literature.