Shara Lessley
{{short description|American poet}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
Shara Lessley is an American poet and essayist.
Early life
Lessley was born in Visalia, California in 1975.{{cite book |editor1-last=Rekdal |editor1-first=Paisley |editor2-last=Lehman |editor2-first=David |title=The Best American Book of Poetry 2020 |date=2020 |publisher=Scribner |isbn=978-1982106607 |page=240}} She attended the University of California, Irvine. An ArtsBridge Scholar, she earned undergraduate degrees in English and Dance. Shara received an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Maryland's creative writing program.
Career
Lessley is the author of two full-length collections of poetry, The Explosive Expert's Wife (University of Wisconsin Press), a Rumpus Poetry Book selection, and Two-Headed Nightingale (New Issues Poetry & Prose). With the poet Bruce Snider, Lessley co-edited The Poem's Country: Place & Poetic Practice (Pleiades Press), an anthology of essays.
Lessley's writing has been published widely, appearing in newspapers and magazines such as The San Francisco Chronicle,{{Cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/books/article/State-Lines-Shara-Lessley-s-Lines-Following-12746877.php|title=State Lines: Shara Lessley's 'Lines Following a Husband's Departure'|date=March 12, 2018|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=26 November 2018}} Poetry Daily{{Cite web|url=http://poems.com/poem.php?date=17724|title=Poetry Daily: The Accused Terrorist's Wife, by Shara Lessley|website=poems.com|access-date=26 November 2018}}, The Kenyon Review,{{Cite news|url=https://www.kenyonreview.org/journal/janfeb-2017/selections/shara-lessley/|title=Letter to Bruce in Paradise, Indiana {{!}} Journal|work=The Kenyon Review|access-date=26 November 2018}} Missouri Review,{{Cite web|url=https://www.missourireview.com/article/poetry-feature-shara-lessley/|title=The Missouri Review " Poetry Feature: Shara Lessley|website=missourireview.com|access-date=26 November 2018}} and 32 Poems,{{Cite web|url=http://32poems.com/poem/shara-lessley/|title=Shara Lessley {{!}} 32 Poems Magazine|website=32poems.com|access-date=26 November 2018}} as well as in numerous anthologies. Her poems have earned awards including Southern Indiana Review
Lessley is a contributing editor at West Branch, where she writes an annual column on contemporary poetry. Lessley is also the assistant poetry editor{{Cite news|url=http://www.acre-books.com/about-us/staff/|title=Staff|work=Acre Books|access-date=26 November 2018}} for Acre Books. She has taught literature and writing both in the United States and abroad at universities and schools including University of Wisconsin–Madison, Colgate University, Washington College, and The Gilman School, as well as for Stanford University's Online Continuing Studies Program for creative writing. She was the inaugural Anne-Spencer-Poet-in-Residence{{Cite web|url=http://randolphcollege.blogspot.com/2013/11/visiting-writer-positions-named.html|title=Visiting writer positions named for Pearl S. Buck and Anne Spencer|date=November 13, 2013|website=Visiting writer positions named for Pearl S. Buck and Anne Spencer {{!}} Randolph College|access-date=26 November 2018}} at Randolph College.
Select awards and fellowships
- Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Poetry: Stanford University (2003–2005){{Cite web|url=https://creativewriting.stanford.edu/stegner-fellowship/current-fellows/former-stegner-fellows|title=Former Stegner Fellows {{!}} Creative Writing Program|website=creativewriting.stanford.edu|access-date=26 November 2018}}
- [http://www.colgate.edu/academics/departments-and-programs/english/creative-writing-fellows Olive B. O'Connor Fellowship in Creative Writing]: Colgate University (2006){{Cite web|url=http://www.colgate.edu/academics/departments-and-programs/english/creative-writing-fellows|title=Olive B O'Connor Fellowship – Department of English|website=colgate.edu|access-date=26 November 2018}}
- [https://www.gilman.edu/academics/tickner-writing-center/tickner-writing-fellow Reginald S. Tickner Fellowship] in Creative Writing: The Gilman School (2007){{Cite web|url=https://www.gilman.edu/academics/tickner-writing-center/tickner-writing-fellow|title=Gilman School – Tickner Writing Fellow|website=gilman.edu|access-date=26 November 2018}}
- [https://creativewriting.wisc.edu/fellowships.html Diane K. Middlebrook Poetry Fellowship]: University of Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing (2008){{Cite web|url=https://creativewriting.wisc.edu/fellows.html#former|title=WI Institute for Creative Writing Fellows|website=WI Institute for Creative Writing|access-date=26 November 2018}}
- John Ciardi Scholar in Poetry: Bread Loaf Writers' Conference (
http://www.middlebury.edu/bread-loaf-conferences ) (2008) - North Carolina Arts Council: Artist Fellowship (2010){{Cite web|url=https://files.nc.gov/ncarts/pdf/NCAC_Fellowship_Index.pdf|title=North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship Recipients|website=North Carolina Arts Council}} [https://www.ncarts.org/ Alt URL]
- [https://www.washcoll.edu/centers/lithouse/programs/mary-wood-douglas-wallop-fellowships.php Mary Wood Fellowship]: Washington College, Rose O'Neill Literary House (2014){{Cite web|url=https://www.washcoll.edu/live/news/2409-lit-house-announces-2014-mary-wood-fellow|title=Lit House Announces 2014 Mary Wood Fellow|website=washcoll.edu|access-date=26 November 2018}}
- National Endowment for the Arts: Individual Fellowship in Poetry (2015){{Cite news|url=https://www.arts.gov/nea-literature-fellowships/shara-lessley|title=Shara Lessley|date=May 30, 2018|work=NEA|access-date=26 November 2018}}
Books
- The Explosive Expert's Wife (University of Wisconsin Press, 2018)
- The Poem's Country: Place & Poetic Practice (Pleiades Press, 2018) co-editor
- Two-Headed Nightingale (New Issues Poetry & Prose, 2012)
References
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)