Rhina Espaillat
Encyclopedia
Rhina Espaillat was born in the Dominican Republic
in 1932 and has lived in the United States
since 1939. She taught English in the New York City
public schools for many years, and retired to Newburyport, Massachusetts
, where for more than a decade she has led a group of New Formalist poets known as the Powow River Poets
.
Espaillat writes in both English
and Spanish
, and has become the most prominent translator of the poetry of Robert Frost
into Spanish . She is the author of eight books, including the winners of the 1998 T. S. Eliot Prize
(Where Horizons Go - Truman State University Press) and the 2000 Richard Wilbur Award
(Rehearsing Absence - University of Evansville Press). Her work has appeared in Poetry, The American Scholar, and many other journals, and she is a two-time winner of the top award in formal poetry, the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award
.
Her work is included in many popular anthologies, including The Heath Introduction to Poetry (Heath 2000); The Muse Strikes Back (Story Line Press 1997); and In Other Words: Literature by Latinas of the U.S. (Arte Publico Press 1994). She's also known for her English translations of the work of St. John of the Cross, which have been appearing in the American journal, First Things
.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
in 1932 and has lived in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since 1939. She taught English in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
public schools for many years, and retired to Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a small coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles northeast of Boston. The population was 21,189 at the 2000 census. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island...
, where for more than a decade she has led a group of New Formalist poets known as the Powow River Poets
Powow River Poets
The Powow River Poets are a group of primarily New Formalist poets and translators founded in 1990 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The group has been led for most of that time by a Dominican-American poet, Rhina Espaillat...
.
Espaillat writes in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and has become the most prominent translator of the poetry of Robert Frost
Robert Frost
Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
into Spanish . She is the author of eight books, including the winners of the 1998 T. S. Eliot Prize
T. S. Eliot Prize (Truman State University)
The T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry is awarded annually by Truman State University, which is a United States university located in Missouri. It is given "for the best unpublished book-length collection of poetry in English, in honor of native Missourian T. S. Eliot’s considerable intellectual and...
(Where Horizons Go - Truman State University Press) and the 2000 Richard Wilbur Award
Richard Wilbur Award
The Richard Wilbur Award is named in honor of the distinguished American poet Richard Wilbur and was established at the University of Evansville under the direction of William Baer. The competition welcomes submissions of unpublished, original poetry collections, and public domain or...
(Rehearsing Absence - University of Evansville Press). Her work has appeared in Poetry, The American Scholar, and many other journals, and she is a two-time winner of the top award in formal poetry, the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award
Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award
The Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award was established in 1994 by The Formalist, a poetry magazine founded by William Baer. The award honors the poet Howard Nemerov, who died in 1991. It is an open competition for sonnets in English that draws about 3000 entries annually. The award itself is $1000...
.
Her work is included in many popular anthologies, including The Heath Introduction to Poetry (Heath 2000); The Muse Strikes Back (Story Line Press 1997); and In Other Words: Literature by Latinas of the U.S. (Arte Publico Press 1994). She's also known for her English translations of the work of St. John of the Cross, which have been appearing in the American journal, First Things
First Things
First Things is an ecumenical journal focused on creating a "religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society". The journal is inter-denominational and inter-religious, representing a broad intellectual tradition of Christian and Jewish critique of contemporary society...
.
External links
- Archive of Rhina Espaillat's Translations of St. John of the Cross in First Things http://www.firstthings.com/search.php?recherche=Rhina+Espaillat&search_type_ft=ft&search_type_blog=blog