William Marr
Encyclopedia
William W. Marr, PhD
(traditional Chinese
: 馬為義; simplified Chinese: 马为义; pinyin: ma wei yi; born September 3, 1936) is a retired engineering researcher and poet.
and grew up in a small village in Guangdong
, China
. He was educated in Taiwan
and came to the United States
in 1961 as an engineering student. After receiving his master's degree
in mechanical engineering
from Marquette University
in 1963, he worked for Allis-Chalmers
Mfg. Co. in Milwaukee, developing safety and control systems for nuclear power
plants. He entered the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1967 and received his PhD degree in nuclear engineering two years later. In 1969, he joined Argonne National Laboratory
as a researcher, working in the area of energy and environmental systems, including Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor safety research, and electric hybrid vehicle development. More than one hundred technical reports and articles had been published before his early retirement in 1996.
, Autumn Window, in 1995. The book was very well received. The Chicago Tribune
and several local newspapers carried favorable reviews and he was hailed by one of the Chicago
critics as one of the collectible Chicago poets. Regarded as one of the leading contemporary Chinese-language poets, his poems are included in over one hundred anthologies, ranging from literary textbooks to special collections and have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also edited several anthologies of Chinese and Taiwanese
modern poetry and has received several awards from Taiwan
for his poetry translation and writing. He is a former president of the Illinois State Poetry Society and a member of the Executive Committee of International Poet's Pen Club headquartered in Hong Kong
.
. During the 2008 Olympics, he was invited to participate in an art show at an art museum in Beijing
. He is a founding board member of the Chinese Artists' Association of North America.
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(traditional Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 馬為義; simplified Chinese: 马为义; pinyin: ma wei yi; born September 3, 1936) is a retired engineering researcher and poet.
Engineering research career
Marr was born in TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and grew up in a small village in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He was educated in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1961 as an engineering student. After receiving his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
from Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
in 1963, he worked for Allis-Chalmers
Allis-Chalmers
The Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. of West Allis, Wisconsin, is an American company known for its past as a manufacturer with diverse interests, perhaps most famous for their bright Persian Orange farm tractors...
Mfg. Co. in Milwaukee, developing safety and control systems for nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
plants. He entered the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1967 and received his PhD degree in nuclear engineering two years later. In 1969, he joined Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is the first science and engineering research national laboratory in the United States, receiving this designation on July 1, 1946. It is the largest national laboratory by size and scope in the Midwest...
as a researcher, working in the area of energy and environmental systems, including Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor safety research, and electric hybrid vehicle development. More than one hundred technical reports and articles had been published before his early retirement in 1996.
Poet and Translator
Besides his career in engineering research, Dr. Marr has devoted most of his leisure time to the translation and writing of modern poetry. Over the years, he has published thirteen books of poems in his native Chinese language, all under the pen name Fei Ma (traditional Chinese: 非馬; simplified Chinese: 非马), and several books of translations. He published his first book of poems in EnglishEnglish 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...
, Autumn Window, in 1995. The book was very well received. The Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
and several local newspapers carried favorable reviews and he was hailed by one of the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
critics as one of the collectible Chicago poets. Regarded as one of the leading contemporary Chinese-language poets, his poems are included in over one hundred anthologies, ranging from literary textbooks to special collections and have been translated into more than ten languages. He has also edited several anthologies of Chinese and Taiwanese
Taiwanese language
Taiwanese language may refer to* Most commonly** Taiwanese Hokkien, spoken by about 70% of the population of Taiwan* Also** One of the Languages of Taiwan** One of the indigenous Formosan languages spoken in Taiwan...
modern poetry and has received several awards from Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
for his poetry translation and writing. He is a former president of the Illinois State Poetry Society and a member of the Executive Committee of International Poet's Pen Club headquartered in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Artist
Since 1990, he has engaged in artistic activities such as painting and sculpting, and has held several solo and group art exhibitions in art galleries and public libraries in the Chicago area. In 2006, some of his paintings were displayed on PublicBoard.com, a Website devoted to art and literature, for the celebration of the Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
. During the 2008 Olympics, he was invited to participate in an art show at an art museum in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. He is a founding board member of the Chinese Artists' Association of North America.
Publications in English
- Autumn Window, Arbor Hill Press, Chicago, 1995; 2nd Edition, 1996
- Let the Feast Begin-- My Favorite English Poems, Bilingual, Bookman Publishing Co., Taipei, 1999
- Selected Poems of William Marr, Chinese-English Bilingual, The World Contemporary Poetry Series, The Milky Way Publishing Co., Hong Kong, 2003
- Between Heaven and Earth, selected poems, PublishAmerica, Baltimore, 2010
External links
- An Interview with William Marr, by Alan Harris, http://www.poetrysky.com/interview.html
- The Art World of William Marr, http://wmarr9.home.comcast.net/bmz.htm