Terrance Hayes
Encyclopedia
Terrance Hayes is a prize-winning American poet
. His recent poetry collection Lighthead (Penguin, 2010) won the National Book Award for Poetry. His second collection, Hip Logic (2002), won the National Poetry Series
, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and runner-up for the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets. His first book of poetry, Muscular Music (1999), won both the Whiting Writers Award and the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. His poems have appeared in literary journals and magazines including The New Yorker, The American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, Fence, The Kenyon Review, Jubilat Harvard Review, West Branch and Poetry.
Hayes earned his B.A. from Coker College
and an M.F.A. from the University of Pittsburgh
writing program. He is a Professor of Creative Writing at Carnegie Mellon University
. He lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, the poet Yona Harvey, and their children.
has said: "First you'll marvel at his skill, his near-perfect pitch, his disarming humor, his brilliant turns of phrase. Then you'll notice the grace, the tenderness, the unblinking truth-telling just beneath his lines, the open and generous way he takes in our world."
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. His recent poetry collection Lighthead (Penguin, 2010) won the National Book Award for Poetry. His second collection, Hip Logic (2002), won the National Poetry Series
National Poetry Series
The National Poetry Series is an American literary awards program.Every year since 1979 it has sponsored the publication of five books of poetry...
, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and runner-up for the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets. His first book of poetry, Muscular Music (1999), won both the Whiting Writers Award and the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. His poems have appeared in literary journals and magazines including The New Yorker, The American Poetry Review, Ploughshares, Fence, The Kenyon Review, Jubilat Harvard Review, West Branch and Poetry.
Hayes earned his B.A. from Coker College
Coker College
Coker College offers a four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the "Best Colleges" in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review...
and an M.F.A. from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
writing program. He is a Professor of Creative Writing at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
. He lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, the poet Yona Harvey, and their children.
Awards
- 2010 National Book Award for PoetryNational Book Award for PoetryThe National Book Award for Poetry has been given since 1950 and is part of the National Book Awards, which are given annually for outstanding literary works by American citizens...
, for Lighthead - Pushcart PrizePushcart PrizeThe 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....
, a Best American Poetry 2005 selection - 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...
Fellowship - 2009 Guggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
- James Laughlin AwardJames Laughlin AwardThe James Laughlin Award, formerly the Lamont Poetry Prize, is given annually for a poet's second published book; it is the only major poetry award that honors a second book...
runner-up, from the Academy of American PoetsAcademy of American PoetsThe Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of poetry. The Academy was incorporated as a "membership corporation" in New York State in 1934... - Whiting Writers Award
- Kate Tufts Discovery Award for Muscular Music (1999)
- 2001 National Poetry SeriesNational Poetry SeriesThe National Poetry Series is an American literary awards program.Every year since 1979 it has sponsored the publication of five books of poetry...
, for Hip Logic
Published works
Full-Length Poetry Collections- Lighthead (Penguin Books, 2010)
- Wind in a Box (Penguin Books, 2006)
- Muscular Music(Tia Chucha Press, 1999; reissued by Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2006)
Reviews
In praising Hayes's work, Cornelius EadyCornelius Eady
Cornelius Eady is an American poet focusing largely on matters of race and society, particularly the trials of the African-American race in the United States. His poetry often centers around jazz and blues, family life, violence, and societal problems stemming from questions of race and class...
has said: "First you'll marvel at his skill, his near-perfect pitch, his disarming humor, his brilliant turns of phrase. Then you'll notice the grace, the tenderness, the unblinking truth-telling just beneath his lines, the open and generous way he takes in our world."
Sources
External links
- Profile and poems of Terrance Hayes, including audio files, at the Poetry Foundation.
- Video: Online NewsHour: Report > Pittsburgh Poet Terrance Hayes > April 24, 2008
- Interview: The Missouri Review > Issue 29.4, Winter 2006 > A Conversation with Terrance Hayes by Jason Koo
- "My Aesthetic Schizophrenia: An Interview with Terrence Hayes", Jonathan Moody, nidus, Winter 2005
- Audio: Terrance Hayes Reading for From the Fishouse