Robert Frazier
Encyclopedia
Robert Alexander Frazier (b. 1951, Ayer, Massachusetts
) is an American writer of speculative poetry
and fiction
, as well as an impressionist painter on Nantucket Island.
His mother, Barbara Brown Frazier, was an oil painter, educated by Emil Gruppe
(1896–1978) and Dimitri Romanovsky (Russian/American, 1887–1971) for portraiture. His father, Stuart Wilson Frazier, was a civilian teacher of cryptoanalysis - code breaking - for U.S. Army security at Fort Devens
, a post he obtained after serving in the Army with a small contingent of Americans during World War II
at Bletchley Park
, the famous codebreaking center in England.
Robert Frazier was educated at the University of Iowa
, where, as an undergraduate, somehow, after being misplaced in a first course, he was lucky to take graduate courses in poetry at the Iowa Writers' Workshop
.
In the mid-1970s, he moved to Nantucket Island (his distant relatives were among the early settlers there), where an arts colony existed. He married Karol Marie Lindquist, a nationally recognized maker of the Nantucket Lightship Basket
, in 1978, and attended the Clarion Workshop
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
in 1980 (and returned there as the assistant in 1981).
He also began a career in oil painting then, which after a hiatus to try working as a fiction writer from 1988 to 1998 (he sold 60 or so stories and was a regular attendee at the Sycamore Hill Writer's Workshop
), he resumed in 1998.
Robert Frazier freelances as a graphic design
er as well, for a time designing books for SF publisher Mark V. Ziesing
and was art director for Nantucket Magazine from 1995 - 2005.
He was president of the Artists Association of Nantucket from 1999–2004, and now works as their gallery director.
His first SF story, Across Those Endless Skies, appeared in In the Field of Fire (1987). He has won the Rhysling Award three times: for Best Long Poem in 1994, and for Best Short Poem in 1980 and 1989. In 1984, Frazier edited the landmark anthology of SF poetry Burning With A Vision: Poetry of Science and the Fantastic (Owlswick Press).
He is a founding member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association
, and a past editor of their newsletter, Star*Line. He also edited and published one of the early magazines of SF poetry, The Speculative Poetry Review (later titled TASP). As a historian, Frazier has written several articles on the evolution of the SF poetry movement...the most recent being a 2005 primer on the Rhysling Awards for the poetry anthology, The Alchemy of Stars, the Rhysling Award Winners Showcase. The Science Fiction Poetry Association
named Frazier a Grand Master in 2005.
In 2008, he had his 7th consecutive solo exhibition of oil paintings at the Old Spouter Gallery on Nantucket Island.
In 2007, his article on painter Frank Swift Chase
has been published in vol. 56, no. 3, of Historic Nantucket, a publication of the Nantucket Historical Association.
His Robot Origami, from the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction March 2005 was nominated for the 2006 Rhysling Award.
His When Will Time Unfold, from the Magazine of Speculative Poetry, Spring 2006, was nominated for the 2007 Rhysling Award.
His collaborative poem with Bruce Boston
, Chronicles of the Mutant Rain Foresthttp://chizine.com/return_to_the_mutant_rain_forest.htm, received first place in the 2006 Locus (magazine)
Online Poetry Poll for "Best All-Time Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror Poem".
Frazier's work is taught to students as the major American SF poet; this is done (academic year 2005-2006) at the Philological-artistic Faculty in the city of Kragujevac
, Serbia
.
Ayer, Massachusetts
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
) is an American writer of speculative poetry
Speculative poetry
Also variously called science fiction poetry or SF poetry or fantastic poetry, speculative poetry is to poetry roughly what speculative fiction is to fiction. Speculative poetry is often published by the same markets that publish science fiction, fantasy and horror.Speculative poetry is not...
and fiction
Speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
, as well as an impressionist painter on Nantucket Island.
His mother, Barbara Brown Frazier, was an oil painter, educated by Emil Gruppe
Emil Gruppe
Emile Albert Gruppé was an American painter born in Rochester, New York to Helen and Charles P. Gruppe. He lived the early years of his life in the Netherlands as his father Charles Paul Gruppe, painted with the Hague school of art and acted as a dealer for the Dutch painters in the US...
(1896–1978) and Dimitri Romanovsky (Russian/American, 1887–1971) for portraiture. His father, Stuart Wilson Frazier, was a civilian teacher of cryptoanalysis - code breaking - for U.S. Army security at Fort Devens
Fort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
, a post he obtained after serving in the Army with a small contingent of Americans during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
, the famous codebreaking center in England.
Robert Frazier was educated at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, where, as an undergraduate, somehow, after being misplaced in a first course, he was lucky to take graduate courses in poetry at the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...
.
In the mid-1970s, he moved to Nantucket Island (his distant relatives were among the early settlers there), where an arts colony existed. He married Karol Marie Lindquist, a nationally recognized maker of the Nantucket Lightship Basket
Nantucket Lightship Basket
Nantucket Lightship Baskets are a type of basket originating, in the 19th century, on Nantucket Island Lightships. Lightship baskets are all made from rattan and wood, have an odd number of staves, a solid wooden base, a nailed and lashed rim, a rattan weaver, and are woven over a mould...
, in 1978, and attended the Clarion Workshop
Clarion Workshop
Clarion is a six-week workshop for new and aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers. Originally an outgrowth of Knight and Wilhelm's Milford Writers' Conference, held at their home in Milford, Pennsylvania, USA, it was founded in 1968 by Robin Scott Wilson at Clarion State College in...
in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
in 1980 (and returned there as the assistant in 1981).
He also began a career in oil painting then, which after a hiatus to try working as a fiction writer from 1988 to 1998 (he sold 60 or so stories and was a regular attendee at the Sycamore Hill Writer's Workshop
Sycamore Hill Writer's Workshop
Sycamore Hill Writer's Workshop is a workshop for science fiction writers. Since its origin in 1985, it has been held in Raleigh, North Carolina; Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; and most recently in Little Switzerland, North Carolina....
), he resumed in 1998.
Robert Frazier freelances as a graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
er as well, for a time designing books for SF publisher Mark V. Ziesing
Mark V. Ziesing
Mark V. Ziesing is a small press publisher and bookseller. Active as a bookseller from 1972 to present, Ziesing was active in publishing from the mid-1980s into the late 1990s. The Ziesing publishing imprint specialized in science fiction, horror, and other forms of speculative fiction...
and was art director for Nantucket Magazine from 1995 - 2005.
He was president of the Artists Association of Nantucket from 1999–2004, and now works as their gallery director.
His first SF story, Across Those Endless Skies, appeared in In the Field of Fire (1987). He has won the Rhysling Award three times: for Best Long Poem in 1994, and for Best Short Poem in 1980 and 1989. In 1984, Frazier edited the landmark anthology of SF poetry Burning With A Vision: Poetry of Science and the Fantastic (Owlswick Press).
He is a founding member of the Science Fiction Poetry Association
Science Fiction Poetry Association
The Science Fiction Poetry Association was established in 1978 by Suzette Haden Elgin to bring together poets and readers interested in science fiction poetry. The organization administers the Rhysling Award and publishes the journal Star*Line, as well as providing market listings and industry news...
, and a past editor of their newsletter, Star*Line. He also edited and published one of the early magazines of SF poetry, The Speculative Poetry Review (later titled TASP). As a historian, Frazier has written several articles on the evolution of the SF poetry movement...the most recent being a 2005 primer on the Rhysling Awards for the poetry anthology, The Alchemy of Stars, the Rhysling Award Winners Showcase. The Science Fiction Poetry Association
Science Fiction Poetry Association
The Science Fiction Poetry Association was established in 1978 by Suzette Haden Elgin to bring together poets and readers interested in science fiction poetry. The organization administers the Rhysling Award and publishes the journal Star*Line, as well as providing market listings and industry news...
named Frazier a Grand Master in 2005.
In 2008, he had his 7th consecutive solo exhibition of oil paintings at the Old Spouter Gallery on Nantucket Island.
In 2007, his article on painter Frank Swift Chase
Frank Swift Chase
Frank Swift Chase was an American Post-Impressionist landscape painter and a founder of the Woodstock Artists Association in Woodstock, New York, the art colony at Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the Sarasota School of Art in Florida....
has been published in vol. 56, no. 3, of Historic Nantucket, a publication of the Nantucket Historical Association.
His Robot Origami, from the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction March 2005 was nominated for the 2006 Rhysling Award.
His When Will Time Unfold, from the Magazine of Speculative Poetry, Spring 2006, was nominated for the 2007 Rhysling Award.
His collaborative poem with Bruce Boston
Bruce Boston
Bruce Boston is an American speculative fiction writer and poet who was born in Chicago and grew up in Southern California. He received a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, 1965, and an M.A., 1967...
, Chronicles of the Mutant Rain Foresthttp://chizine.com/return_to_the_mutant_rain_forest.htm, received first place in the 2006 Locus (magazine)
Locus (magazine)
Locus, subtitled "The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field", is published monthly in Oakland, California. It reports on the science fiction and fantasy publishing field, including comprehensive listings of all new books published in the genre. It is considered the news organ and trade...
Online Poetry Poll for "Best All-Time Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror Poem".
Frazier's work is taught to students as the major American SF poet; this is done (academic year 2005-2006) at the Philological-artistic Faculty in the city of Kragujevac
Kragujevac
Kragujevac is the fourth largest city in Serbia, the main city of the Šumadija region and the administrative centre of Šumadija District. It is situated on the banks of the Lepenica River...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
.
Family
He and his wife have one daughter, born in 1973, Timalyne (also a graduate of Clarion and an SF writer), and two granddaughters, Phoebe and Chloe.List of books
- Peregrine. Salt-Works Press, 1978.
- "Burning With A Vision: Poetry of Science and the Fantastic". Owlswick Press, 1984.
- Perception Barriers. Cover by David MacaulayDavid MacaulayDavid Macaulay is an author and illustrator. Now a resident of Norwich, Vermont, United States, he is an alumnus and faculty member at the Rhode Island School of Design.- Biography :...
, Berkeley Poets Workshop & Press, 1987. - Co-Orbital Moons. Cover by Gregorio Montejo, Ocean View Books, 1987.
- Nantucket Slayrides 3 novellas with Lucius ShepardLucius ShepardLucius Shepard is an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leans into other genres, such as magical realism. His work is infused with a political and historical sensibility and an awareness of literary antecedents...
and cover by J. K. Potter. Eel Grass Press/Ocean View Books, 1989. - Chronicles of the Mutant Rain Forest with Bruce BostonBruce BostonBruce Boston is an American speculative fiction writer and poet who was born in Chicago and grew up in Southern California. He received a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, 1965, and an M.A., 1967...
, cover by Frazier, Lucius ShepardLucius ShepardLucius Shepard is an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leans into other genres, such as magical realism. His work is infused with a political and historical sensibility and an awareness of literary antecedents...
(Introduction). Horror's Head Press, 1992. - Invisible Machines with Andrew JoronAndrew JoronAndrew Joron is an American writer of experimental poetry. He began by writing science fiction poetry. Joron's later poetry, combining scientific and philosophical ideas with the sonic properties of language, has been compared to the work of the Russian Futurist Velimir Khlebnikov...
. cover by Thomas WilochThomas WilochThomas Wiloch was an American author, editor, poet, and illustrator.Born in Detroit, Michigan, Wiloch was "one of a handful of contemporary American masters of the prose miniature," Greg Boyd wrote in Asylum....
, Jazz Police Books, 1993. - Family Secrets. Eel Grass Press, 1993.
- The Daily Chernobyl and other poems. Cover by Katie Trinkle Legge, Anamnesis Press, 2000, winner of the Anamnesis Press Poetry Chapbook Competition of 1999.
- The Art Colony on Nantucket: Sixty Years of Contemporary Art. with George Thomas, The AAN Press, 2005.
External links
- Locus Online Poetry Poll
- Science Fiction Poetry Association
- Artists Association of Nantucket
- Locus Online Partial Bibliography
- Sycamore Hill Writer's WorkshopSycamore Hill Writer's WorkshopSycamore Hill Writer's Workshop is a workshop for science fiction writers. Since its origin in 1985, it has been held in Raleigh, North Carolina; Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania; and most recently in Little Switzerland, North Carolina....
- Timalyne Frazier at Wheatland Press
- Nantucket Historical Association