Pulitzer Prize Recipient Poet. She was a 20th-century award-winning American poet. After her father died before she was a year old, her mother was institutionalized four years later, suffering from mental illness. At first, she was given to her maternal grandparents before her wealthy paternal grandparents gained custody. She was afforded a private education as a child. In 1918, she went to live with her mother's impoverished sister. She suffered from poor health as a child. She graduated from Vassar College, where she learned about poetry. While at Vassar College, she founded the short-lived but influential literary journal, "Con Spirito." She and her Vassar classmate Louise Crane traveled extensively in France, Spain, Ireland, Italy, North Africa, and later in life, Brazil, where she lived for over a decade. Her long-time companion while in Brazil was Maria Carlota "Lota" Costallat de Macedo Soares, who committed suicide in 1967 shortly after Bishop's return to the United States. She made her home in New York City, San Francisco, Massachusetts, as well as Key West. During her lifetime, she published only 101 poems with many echoing the suffering of her youngest childhood and her travels. Her first collection of poetry was "North and South" in 1946. She was the United States Poet Laureate from 1949 to 1950. Her second collection, "North and South: A Cold Spring," was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1955. In 1970, she taught at Harvard University after her inheritance was spent, and she was awarded the National Book Award in Poetry for "The Complete Poems." In 1976, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and published "Geography II," for which she received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Besides her poetry, she was a short story writer and a painter. She died suddenly from a cerebral aneurysm.
Pulitzer Prize Recipient Poet. She was a 20th-century award-winning American poet. After her father died before she was a year old, her mother was institutionalized four years later, suffering from mental illness. At first, she was given to her maternal grandparents before her wealthy paternal grandparents gained custody. She was afforded a private education as a child. In 1918, she went to live with her mother's impoverished sister. She suffered from poor health as a child. She graduated from Vassar College, where she learned about poetry. While at Vassar College, she founded the short-lived but influential literary journal, "Con Spirito." She and her Vassar classmate Louise Crane traveled extensively in France, Spain, Ireland, Italy, North Africa, and later in life, Brazil, where she lived for over a decade. Her long-time companion while in Brazil was Maria Carlota "Lota" Costallat de Macedo Soares, who committed suicide in 1967 shortly after Bishop's return to the United States. She made her home in New York City, San Francisco, Massachusetts, as well as Key West. During her lifetime, she published only 101 poems with many echoing the suffering of her youngest childhood and her travels. Her first collection of poetry was "North and South" in 1946. She was the United States Poet Laureate from 1949 to 1950. Her second collection, "North and South: A Cold Spring," was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1955. In 1970, she taught at Harvard University after her inheritance was spent, and she was awarded the National Book Award in Poetry for "The Complete Poems." In 1976, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and published "Geography II," for which she received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Besides her poetry, she was a short story writer and a painter. She died suddenly from a cerebral aneurysm.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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ELIZABETH BISHOP
1911 - 1979
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"All the untidy activity continues,
awful but cheerful."
Family Members
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