Christopher Bursk
Encyclopedia
Christopher Bursk is an American
poet, professor, and activist. He is author of nine poetry collections, most recently, The First Inhabitants of Arcadia published by the (University of Arkansas Press
, 2006), and praised by The New York Times
:
, an MFA from Warren Wilson College
and an MA and a PhD from Boston University
. He lives in Langhorne Manor, PA and teaches at Bucks County Community College
. He and his wife, Mary Ann, have three children: Christian, Norabeth, and Justin.
His poems have been published in literary journals and magazines including Paris Review, The American Poetry Review, and Manhattan Review, and in anthologies including The Mysterious Life of the Heart: Writing from The Sun About Passion, Longing, and Love (Sun Publishing Company, 2009), and Three new poets: Christopher Bursk, William Corbett, Paul Hannigan (Pym-Randall Press, 1966).
, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
, 1995 Pew Foundation
and Guggenheim Foundation
. His awards include the Capricorn Poetry Award, the Green Rose Prize, Milton Kessler Poetry Book Award, the 49th Parallel Poetry Award, and the Donald Hall Prize in Poetry. His humanitarian honors include the Bucks County Citizen of the Year award from Bucks County Community College, and the Bucks County Humanitarian of the Year award. His humanitarian activities have included working as a probation counselor, volunteering in shelter for abused women, and teaching poetry to prisoners at Bucks County Prison; and he has been an advocate for the homeless and an organizer for farm workers’ rights.
Chapbooks
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet, professor, and activist. He is author of nine poetry collections, most recently, The First Inhabitants of Arcadia published by the (University of Arkansas Press
University of Arkansas Press
The University of Arkansas Press is a university press that is part of the University of Arkansas. It was established in 1980, and the press issues an average of twenty titles per year. The press is a member of the Association of American University Presses....
, 2006), and praised by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
:
Bursk writes with verve and insight about child rearing, aging parents, sexuality, his literary heroes, the sexuality of his literary heroes.
Life
Bursk was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and received his B.A. from Tufts UniversityTufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, an MFA from Warren Wilson College
Warren Wilson College
Warren Wilson College is a private four-year work college in the Swannanoa Valley, North Carolina, United States near Asheville. It is known for its curriculum of work, academics, and service, called "the Triad," which requires every student to work an on-campus job, perform at least one hundred...
and an MA and a PhD from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
. He lives in Langhorne Manor, PA and teaches at Bucks County Community College
Bucks County Community College
Bucks County Community College is a two-year community college located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Founded in 1964, Bucks has three campuses and online courses: a main campus in Newtown, an "Upper County" campus in the town of Perkasie, and a "Lower County" campus in the...
. He and his wife, Mary Ann, have three children: Christian, Norabeth, and Justin.
His poems have been published in literary journals and magazines including Paris Review, The American Poetry Review, and Manhattan Review, and in anthologies including The Mysterious Life of the Heart: Writing from The Sun About Passion, Longing, and Love (Sun Publishing Company, 2009), and Three new poets: Christopher Bursk, William Corbett, Paul Hannigan (Pym-Randall Press, 1966).
Awards
His literary honors include fellowships from the National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the Arts
The 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...
, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is an agency serving the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.Established in 1966, its mission is "to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state." Each year...
, 1995 Pew Foundation
Pew Fellowships in the Arts
The Pew Fellowships in the Arts is an organization established by the Pew Charitable Trusts in 1991 which awards grants to Philadelphia-area artists. The grants provide artists with an economic freedom that presents the opportunity to focus on their individual practices over a considerable period...
and Guggenheim Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
. His awards include the Capricorn Poetry Award, the Green Rose Prize, Milton Kessler Poetry Book Award, the 49th Parallel Poetry Award, and the Donald Hall Prize in Poetry. His humanitarian honors include the Bucks County Citizen of the Year award from Bucks County Community College, and the Bucks County Humanitarian of the Year award. His humanitarian activities have included working as a probation counselor, volunteering in shelter for abused women, and teaching poetry to prisoners at Bucks County Prison; and he has been an advocate for the homeless and an organizer for farm workers’ rights.
Published Works
Full-length Poetry Collections- The First Inhabitants of Arcadia (University of Arkansas Press, 2006)
- The Improbable Swervings of Atoms (University of Pittsburgh PressUniversity of Pittsburgh PressThe University of Pittsburgh Press is a scholarly publishing house and a major American university press, part of the University of Pittsburgh. The university and the press are located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
, 2005) - Ovid at Fifteen (New Issues PressNew Issues PressNew Issues Press is a literary press associated with Western Michigan University. It was founded by poet and Western Michigan University professor Herbert S. Scott...
, 2003) - Cell Count (Texas Tech University PressTexas Tech University PressTexas Tech University Press , founded in 1971, is the university press of Texas Tech University.-External links:*...
, 1997) - The Way Water Rubs Stone (Word WorksWord WorksWord Works is thirty-seven year old independent literary press based in Washington, DC. The press was founded in 1974 and has published 67 titles including works by Grace Cavalieri, Fred Marchant, Donna Denizé, Christopher Bursk, Frannie Lindsay, Jay Rogoff, and Enid Shomer...
, 1988) - Places of Comfort, Places of Justice (Humanities and Arts Press, 1987)
- Place of Residence (Sparrow Press, 1983)
- Standing Watch (Houghton MifflinHoughton MifflinHoughton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
, 1978)
Chapbooks
- Making Wings (State Street Press, 1983)
Sources
- Pennsylvania Center for the Book > Complete List of Biographies > Christopher Bursk
- Poets & Writers Directory, Christopher Bursk Listing
- Library of Congress Online Catalog > Christopher Bursk
External links
- Poem: www.poets.org > Why Latin Should Still Be Taught in High School by Christopher Bursk
- Poem: www.poets.org > Your Father Sunbathing by Christopher Bursk
- Poem: Standards > Vol. 7, No. 1 > Foster Child by Christopher Bursk
- Poem: The Sun Magazine > February 2008, Issue 386 > Ashes, Ashes We All Fall Down by Christopher Bursk
- Review: The New York Times > Poetry Chronicle > April 23, 2006 > Review by Joel Brouwer of The First Inhabitants of Arcadia by Christopher Bursk
- Review: Rattle > #27 – Summer 2007 > Review by Marcus Smith of The First Inhabitants of Arcadia by Christopher Bursk
- Author Page: University of Arkansas Press > The First Inhabitants of Arcadia by Christopher Bursk