Leslie Scalapino
Encyclopedia
Leslie Scalapino was a United States poet, experimental prose writer, playwright
, essayist, and editor
, sometimes grouped in with the Language poets
, though she felt closely tied to the Beat poets. A longtime resident of California
's Bay Area, she earned an M.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley. Among her works, Scalapino is the author of way (North Point Press, 1988), a long poem which won the Poetry Center Award, the Lawrence Lipton Prize, and the American Book Award
.
(founder of UC Berkeley’s Institute of East Asian Studies), her mother, and her two sisters (Diane and Lynne). She attended Reed College
in Portland, Oregon and received her B.A. in Literature in 1966 before moving on to earn her M.A. at UC Berkeley. Scalapino published her first book O and Other Poems in 1976. During her lifetime, she published more than thirty books of poetry, prose, inter-genre fiction, plays, essays, and collaborations. Other well-known works of hers include The Return of Painting, The Pearl, and Orion : A Trilogy (North Point, 1991; Talisman, 1997), Dahlia's Iris: Secret Autobiography and Fiction (FC2), Sight (a collaboration with Lyn Hejinian
; Edge Books), and Zither & Autobiography (Wesleyan University
Press).
Scalapino's poetry has been widely anthologized, including appearances in the influential Postmodern American Poetry
, From the Other Side of the Century
, and Poems for the Millennium anthologies, as well as the popular Best American Poetry and Pushcart Prize
series anthologies. Her work was the subject of a special "critical feature" appearing in an issue of the online poetry journal How2.
From 1986 until 2010, Scalapino ran the Oakland small press she founded, O Books.
Scalapino taught writing at various institutions, including 16 years in the MFA program at Bard College
. Other schools she taught at over the years included Mills College
, the San Francisco Art Institute
, California College of the Arts
, San Francisco State University
, UC San Diego, and the Naropa University
.
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, essayist, and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, sometimes grouped in with the Language poets
Language poets
The Language poets are an avant garde group or tendency in United States poetry that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, though she felt closely tied to the Beat poets. A longtime resident of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Bay Area, she earned an M.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley. Among her works, Scalapino is the author of way (North Point Press, 1988), a long poem which won the Poetry Center Award, the Lawrence Lipton Prize, and the American Book Award
American Book Award
The American Book Award was established in 1978 by the Before Columbus Foundation. It seeks to recognize outstanding literary achievement by contemporary American authors, without restriction to race, sex, ethnic background, or genre...
.
Life and work
In childhood, Scalapino traveled throughout Asia, Africa and Europe with her father Robert A. ScalapinoRobert A. Scalapino
Robert Anthony Scalapino was an American political scientist particularly involved in East Asian studies. He was one of the founders and first chairman of the National Committee on United States – China Relations...
(founder of UC Berkeley’s Institute of East Asian Studies), her mother, and her two sisters (Diane and Lynne). She attended Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
in Portland, Oregon and received her B.A. in Literature in 1966 before moving on to earn her M.A. at UC Berkeley. Scalapino published her first book O and Other Poems in 1976. During her lifetime, she published more than thirty books of poetry, prose, inter-genre fiction, plays, essays, and collaborations. Other well-known works of hers include The Return of Painting, The Pearl, and Orion : A Trilogy (North Point, 1991; Talisman, 1997), Dahlia's Iris: Secret Autobiography and Fiction (FC2), Sight (a collaboration with Lyn Hejinian
Lyn Hejinian
Lyn Hejinian is an American poet, essayist, translator and publisher. She is often associated with the Language poets and is well known for her landmark work My Life , as well as her book of essays, The Language of Inquiry .-Life:Hejinian was born in the San...
; Edge Books), and Zither & Autobiography (Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
Press).
Scalapino's poetry has been widely anthologized, including appearances in the influential Postmodern American Poetry
Postmodern American Poetry
Postmodern American Poetry is a 1994 poetry anthology edited by Paul Hoover; it is a Norton anthology published by W. W. Norton & Company. The introduction identifies the use of postmodern with its early mention by Charles Olson, and identifies the field chosen as experimental poetry from after 1945...
, From the Other Side of the Century
From the Other Side of the Century
From the Other Side of the Century: "A New American Poetry, 1960-1990" is a poetry anthology published in 1994. It was edited by American poet and publisher Douglas Messerli – under his own imprint Sun and Moon Press ISBN 978-1-55713-131-7 – and includes poets from both the U.S...
, and Poems for the Millennium anthologies, as well as the popular Best American Poetry and Pushcart Prize
Pushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are invited to nominate up to 6 works they have featured....
series anthologies. Her work was the subject of a special "critical feature" appearing in an issue of the online poetry journal How2.
From 1986 until 2010, Scalapino ran the Oakland small press she founded, O Books.
Scalapino taught writing at various institutions, including 16 years in the MFA program at Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
. Other schools she taught at over the years included Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
, the San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute
San Francisco Art Institute is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the...
, California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts , founded in 1907, is known for its broad, interdisciplinary programs in art, design, architecture, and writing. It has two campuses, one in Oakland and one in San Francisco, California, USA...
, San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
, UC San Diego, and the Naropa University
Naropa University
Naropa University is a private American liberal arts university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher and Oxford University scholar Chögyam Trungpa, it is named for the eleventh-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, an abbot of Nalanda.Naropa describes itself as...
.
|
| Fanny Howe Fanny Howe Fanny Howe is an American poet, novelist, and short story writer. She has written many novels in prose collection. Howe was awarded the 2009 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, presented annually by the Poetry Foundation to a living U.S... |
Poetry
- O and Other Poems, Sand Dollar Press, 1976
- The Woman who Could Read the Minds of Dogs, Sand Dollar Press, 1976
- Instead of an Animal, Cloud Marauder Press, 1978
- This eating and walking is associated all right, Tombouctou, 1979
- Considering how exaggerated music is, North Point Press, 1982
- that they were at the beach — aeolotropic series, North Point Press, 1985
- way, North Point Press, 1988
- Crowd and not evening or light, O Books, 1992
- Sight (with Lyn HejinianLyn HejinianLyn Hejinian is an American poet, essayist, translator and publisher. She is often associated with the Language poets and is well known for her landmark work My Life , as well as her book of essays, The Language of Inquiry .-Life:Hejinian was born in the San...
), Edge Books, 1999 - New Time, Wesleyan University Press, 1999
- The Tango, (with Marina Adams), Granary Press, 2001
- Day Ocean State of Stars' Night: Poems & Writings 1989 & 1999-2006, Green Integer (E-L-E-PHANT Series), 2007
- It's go in horizontal, Selected Poems 1974-2006, UC Press, Berkeley, 2008
Fiction
- The Return of Painting, DIA Foundation, 1990
- The Return of Painting, The Pearl, and Orion : A Trilogy, North Point, 1991; Talisman, 1997
- Defoe, Sun & Moon Press, 1995
- The Front Matter, Dead Souls, Wesleyan University Press, 1996
- Orchid Jetsam, Tuumba, 2001
- Dahlia's Iris — Secret Autobiography and Fiction, FC2, November 2003
Inter-genre writings
- The Public World / Syntactically Impermanence, Wesleyan University Press, 1999
- How Phenomena Appear To Unfold , Potes & Poets Press, 1991
- Objects in the Terrifying Tense / Longing from Taking Place, Roof Books, 1994
- Green and Black, Selected Writings , Talisman Publishers, 1996
- R-hu, Atelos Press, 2000
- Zither and Autobiography, Wesleyan, 2003
- Floats Horse-Floats or Horse-Flows, Starcherone Books, 2010
- The Dihedrons Gazelle-Dihedrals Zoom, The Post-Apollo Press / O Books, 2010
Plays
- Goya's L.A., a play, Potes & Poets Press, 1994 (music by Larry OchsLarry Ochs (musician)Larry Ochs is an American jazz saxophonist and composer.Ochs studied trumpet briefly but concentrated on tenor and sopranino saxophones. He worked as a record producer and founded his own label, Metalanguage Records, in 1978, in addition to operating the Twelve Stars studio in California...
) - Stone Marmalade (the Dreamed Title), (with Kevin KillianKevin KillianKevin Killian is an American poet, author, and playwright of primarily LGBT literature. He is also a highly regarded editor. My Vocabulary Did This to Me: The Collected Poetry of Jack Spicer, which he co-edited with Peter Gizzi, won the American Book Award for poetry in 2009...
) Singing Horse Press, 1996 - The Weatherman Turns Himself In, Zasterle Press, Spain 1999
External links
- Leslie Scalapino.com: Official Website
- obituary from family at the Electronic Poetry CenterElectronic Poetry CenterThe Electronic Poetry Center, sponsored by various departments at SUNY Buffalo, is an online resource for digital poetry. It was founded in 1995 by Loss Pequeño Glazier and Charles Bernstein, making it one of the oldest resources for poetry on the World Wide Web...
- How2 Special Feature: Leslie Scalapino
- O Books, Scalapino-founded small press
- Scalapino's Author Page at the Electronic Poetry CenterElectronic Poetry CenterThe Electronic Poetry Center, sponsored by various departments at SUNY Buffalo, is an online resource for digital poetry. It was founded in 1995 by Loss Pequeño Glazier and Charles Bernstein, making it one of the oldest resources for poetry on the World Wide Web...
- 'The Tango' reviewed by Melissa Flores-Bórquez at poetry mag "Intercapillary Space"
- Disbelief: History/Memory/Body: Language is the Trace of Being written for the Segue Panel "Language Poetry and the Body", May 12, 2007
- It’s go in horizontal by Leslie Scalapino A review by John Herbert Cunningham
- The Dihedrons Gazelle-Dihedrals Zoom: Introductory note and chapters 6–12 Writes Scalapino in the "Introductory note":