While we were pleased to find a number of the Academy prizes reflected a gender-balance in distribution, the few that reflected what should be the “old” balance, presented new questions to consider:
1.) In select venues, gender balance seems to be appearing more often via “smaller” awards, but the “big” prizes (i.e. late career recognition) continue to be awarded primarily to men. The number of Academy prizes, of early and mid-career level, reflect an appreciation of the works by women and men alike. But the standout award, the Wallace Stevens, which carries a prize of $100,000 and national note, has been issued to 12 men and only 4 women.
Why is the Academy reflecting an appreciation for women poets via the early career prizes, but when it comes to recognition of life’s work, the imbalance remains? Does bias carry on when it comes to selecting the most noteworthy poets of all—the “greats”?
2.) The Raiziss / de Palchi Translation Award and Harold Morton Langdon Translation Award both make it seem few women are translating and few women poets are being translated. This imbalance suggests additional queries when it comes to the valuable work of sharing poetry beyond one’s borders.
To what extent does this imbalance actually reflect the number of women’s works translated by women? What does this tell us about which international writers are deemed to warrant translation?
1. Wallace Stevens Award: $100,000.00
“Given annually to recognize outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry.”
- 12 Men
- 4 Women
__________________________________________________________
Breakdown:
2010: Galway Kinnell (Male)
Judges:
- 7 Men
- 8 Women
2009: Jean Valentine (Female)
Judges:
- 8 Men
- 7 Women
2008: Louise Gluck (Female)
Judges:
- 8 Men
- 6 Women
2007: Charles Simic (Male)
Judges:
- 10 Men
- 6 Women
2006: Michael Palmer (Male)
Judges:
- 3 Men
- 2 Women
2005: Gerald Stern (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 3 Women
2004: Mark Strand (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 3 Women
2003: Richard Wilbur (Male)
Judges:
- 3 Men
- 2 Women
2002: Ruth Stone (Female)
Judges:
- 3 Men
- 2 Women
2001: John Ashbery (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 3 Women
2000: Frank Bidart (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 3 Women
1999: Jackson Mac Low (Male)
Judges:
- 3 Men
- 2 Women
1998: A.R. Ammons (Male)
Judges:
- 3 Men
- 2 Women
1997: Anthony Hecht (Male)
Judges:
- 3 Men
- 2 Women
1996: Adrienne Rich (Female)
Judges:
- 3 Men
- 2 Women
1995: James Tate (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2. Academy Fellowship: $25,000.00
“Since 1946, The Academy of American Poets has regularly awarded Fellowships to American poets for distinguished poetic achievement.”
- 7 Men
- 9 Women
NO JUDGES LISTED.
3. Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize: $25,000.00
“[R]ecognizes the most outstanding book of poetry published in the United States in the previous year.”
- 8 Men
- 8 Women
__________________________________________________________
Breakdown:
2010: John Koethe (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2009: Linda Gregg (Female)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2008: Henri Cole (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2007: Alice Notley (Female)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2006: Eleanor Lerman (Female)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2005: Ann Winters (Female)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2004: Donald Revell (Male)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
2003: Eamon Grennan (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Women
2002: Madeline DeFrees (Female)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Women
2001: Fanny Howe (Female)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
2000: David Ferry (Male)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
1999: Wanda Coleman (Female)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
1998: Mark Jarman (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
1997: Robert Pinsky (Male)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
1996: Charles Wright (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
1995: Marilyn Hacker (Female)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
4. James Laughlin Award: $5,000.00
“[G]iven to recognize and support a poet’s second book.”
- 6 Men
- 8 Women
__________________________________________________________
Breakdown:
2010: Michael Dickman (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2009: Jennifer K. Sweeney (Female)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2008: Rusty Morrison (Feale)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
2007: Brenda Shaughnessy (Female)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
2006: Tracy K. Smith (Female)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
2005: Barbara Jane Reyes (Female)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
2004: Jeff Clark (Male)
Judges:
- 3 Women
2003: Vijay Sheshadri (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Women
2002: Karen Volkman (Female)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Women
2001: Peter Johnson (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
2000: Liz Waldner (Female)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
1999: Tory Dent (Female)
Judges:
- 1 Man
- 2 Women
1998: Sandra Alcosser (Female)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
1997: Tony Hoagland (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
1996: David Rivard (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
1995: Ralph Angel (Male)
Judges:
- 2 Men
- 1 Woman
5. Walt Whitman Award: $5,000.00, one-month residency at Vermont Studio Center, and Publication
Awarded to “an American who has never before published a book of poetry.”
- 7 Men
- 9 Women
Judges:
- 8 Men
- 8 Women
6. Raiziss / de Palchi Translation Awards: $5,000.00 – $25,000.00
“This award recognizes outstanding translations into English of modern Italian poetry through a $5,000 book prize and a $25,000 fellowship, given in alternating years.”
Translators
- 11 Men
- 2 Women
- 1 Male/Female
Authors Translated
- 12 Men
- 2 Women (same author, different works)
Judges:
2010: 2 Men / 1 Woman
2009: 2 Men / 1 Woman
2008: 3 Men
2007: 3 Men
2006: 3 Men
2005: 2 Men / 1 Woman
2004: 2 Women
2003: 2 Men / 1 Woman
2002: 3 Men
2001: 3 Men
2000: 3 Men
1999: 3 Men
1998: 3 Men
1997: 2 Men / 1 Woman
1996: 2 Men / 1 Woman
7. Harold Morton Langdon Translation Award: $1,000.00
“Recognizes a published translation of poetry from any language into English.”
Translators
- 15 Men
- 2 Woman
- 1 Male/Female
Authors Translated
- 18 Men
- 0 Women
- 3 Anthologies
JUDGES:
- 10 Men
- 6 Women
