Kay ryan is a serious poet writing serious poems, and she resides on a serious planet a word she rhymes with had it. Kay ryan has become a famous poet in much the same way ernest hemingway described a man going broke. When you sit down to write a poem like outsider art, do you know. Im going to focus on the way kirsch and vendler treat one of ryans best. Her poems are compact, exhilarating, strange affairs, like erik. Though ryan came to the poetry establishment as an outsider it took years for her poetry to be widely recognized, she isnt a proponent of outsider art. In 2011 she was named a macarthur fellow and she won the pulitzer prize. Their art isnt mainstream art, but they are creative and resourceful. Kay ryan, who was named the sixteenth poet laureate of the united states in july, lives in fairfax, california, where for more than thirty years she has taught remedial english parttime at the college of marin at kentfield. Congratulations to kay ryan, poet laureate the best. Assessing kay ryan, our new poet laureate slate, july 29, 2008 americas busiest poet time, july 23, 2008 kay ryan, a laureate worth lauding the new york sun, july 18, 2008 poet laureate of the united states. Chemistry, dew and more june 2009 library of congress. Her father was an oilwell driller in the san joaquin valley of california.
Kay ryan has been compared to emily dickinson and marianne moore, sharing a delight in the quirks of logic and language. Poet laureate kay ryan delivered her final reading of the 20082009 poetry. She is often referred to as a poetry outsider and underdog. May 06, 2007 outsider art kay ryan 1995 most of its too dreary or too cherry red.
They are from artists that didnt really study art or are selftaught. Their work is authentic, unconventional and goes against the grain. I enjoy the camaraderie of an art group as well as work shop study with master painters, and i am currently in a mentoring continuum of study with the acclaimed young artist daniel j. There is a short and wonderful poem, called outsider art in the best of it, a recent collection by kay ryan, in which she speaks of claptrap homemade objects too dreary or too cherry red. Longtime bap contributor kay ryan has been named the nations sixteenth poet laureate succeeding charles simic in the post. Kay ryan first appeared in the 1995 edition of best american poetry ed. If its a chair, its covered with things the savior said or should have said dense admonishments in nail polish too small to be read. Kay ryan at the time this essay was written, current u.
Ryan was born in san jose, california, and was raised in several areas of the san joaquin valley and the mojave desert. Jul 29, 2008 the outsider artist assessing kay ryan, our new poet laureate. Kay ryan biography 2017 facts, childhood, wiki, family life. Outsider art by kay ryan in the poem, ryan describes outsider art because outsider art is eccentric, fantastical, and unconventional. Kay ryan poems, quotations and biography on kay ryan poet page. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Richard howard with her poem outsider art, which harold bloom selected for his best of the best 1998. Ryans surprising laureateship capped years of outsiderstatus in the poetry. She is to be named the countrys poet laureate on thursday. She received both a bachelors and masters degree from ucla. Born in california on september 21, 1945, kay ryan grew up in the small towns of the san joaquin valley and the mojave desert.
Experience the extraordinary art made by individuals who, for the most part, are not formally trained as artists. She renamed it outsider art and the poem was snapped up instantly. Because she keeps a low profile, she has been called an outsider poet, a term she dismisses. Kay ryan born september 21, 1945 is an american poet and educator. The washington blade celebrates kay ryans poetry foundation. Kay ryan family, childhood, life achievements, facts, wiki and bio of 2017. If its a picture, the frame is either burnt matches glued together or. Kay ryan, who has just been named americas new poet laureate, is a miniaturist. If its a chair, its covered with things the saviour said or should have said dense admonishments in nail polish. The term outsider art was introduced into the lexicon in 1972 by british writer roger cardinal as an englishlanguage equivalent of the french art brut.
She resists writing in the first person, preferring to write personal poems in such a way that nobody. Ryans tightly compressed, rhythmically dense poetry is. She has published seven volumes of poetry and an anthology of selected and new poems. Some of these disjoint qualities in her work are illustrated by her poem outsider art, which harold bloom selected for the anthology the best of the best. Read all poems of kay ryan and infos about kay ryan. The term outsider art was coined by art critic roger cardinal in 1972 as an english synonym for art brut french. Marianne moore and may swenson were this latter sort of artist. Ryan was the 16th united states poet laureate, from 2008 to 2010. In new collection, marin poet kay ryan contemplates nuances. Oct 17, 2015 in new collection, marin poet kay ryan contemplates nuances of loss kay ryans poetry stands on its own, separate, as she might put it, from any autobiographical gloss. Born in california in 1945 and acknowledged as one of the most original voices in the contemporary landscape, kay ryan is the author of several books of poetry, including flamingo watching 2006, the niagara river 2005, and say uncle 2000. From 2008 to 2010 she was the sixteenth united states poet laureate. These poems look easy, but the deeper one delves, the more they astonish and astound.
She favors compression the way walt whitman favored expansion. May sarton, new york timesbestselling author of at eightytwo kay ryan works toward an exciting art, much less sparse than it looks. In the poem, ryan describes outsider art because outsider art is eccentric, fantastical, and unconventional. I think louise gluck the 200304 laureate gave one interview to the new york timesabout how she wouldnt give any more interviews. The outsider art museum is the only museum in the netherlands that shows leading art works by national and international outsider artists. New and selected poems 2010 won the pulitzer prize for poetry. The author of several collections of poetry, kay ryan has served as both a poet laureate for the library of congress and a chancellor for the academy of american poets. Kay ryan 1995 most of its too dreary or too cherry red.
See more ideas about outsider art, art and naive art. Poems by kay ryan the best of it stealthy insights amid. Kay ryan makes it all fresh again with her highly original vision, her elegant, quirky craft. If its a chair, its covered with things the savior said or should have said. The academy of american poets is the largest membershipbased nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets. I doubt if shed say that anyone could write poetry. By the 1980s, however, the term had expanded to encompass a much greater range of vernacular and marginal arts. Ryan fully expected to like the book, but was surprised when she didnt, because the people depicted in the images looked angry and the art overall appeared grim. Kay ryan is a great surprise that i learned about listening to the american poetry podcast. I dont think you could possibly write if you felt adjusted to your surroundings. Dana gioia, a poet and the chairman of the national endowment for the arts, was an early supporter of ms. Shop our wide selection of outsider art art and other art from the worlds best galleries and artists on 1stdibs. This broadening was particularly important in the united states, where a. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
Dubuffet focused particularly on art by those on the outside of the established art. Kay ryan, outsider who revels in wordplay, is named poet. Kay ryan has become a famous poet in much the same way ernest. Kay ryan, outsider with sly style, named poet laureate. Ryan can certainly be funny, but it is rarely without a sting. Katherine kay ryan july 12, 1929 january 29, 2018 our beloved mother, kay ulibarri, passed away peacefully in her sleep on january 29, 2018 at the age of 88. Ryan s work, describing her as the thoughtful, bemused, affectionate, deeply skeptical. Poet laureate kay ryan was not available for interview, though contacts at the steven barclay agency responded kindly and promptly to my request. Ryan is being inducted into one of the most elite poetry clubs around. Some of these disjoint qualities in her work are illustrated by her poem outsider art, which harold bloom selected for the anthology the best of. The healing spirit of my art was recently recognized by holiday guild for childrens hospital of central california who commissioned an original oil.
Synthesizing gravity gathers for the first time a thirtyyear selection of kay ryan s probings into aesthetics, poetics, and the mind in pursuit of art. She attended a community college before the university. She wrote a poem about her reaction and called it folk art. Her poems are abstract, free and simple not simplistic, just as i would like to write if i had the talent. Ryan, born in 1945, is an unusual poet and an unusual person. The term outsider art was introduced as the title of roger cardinals book in 1972 and was originally intended to act as an exact english equivalent to dubuffets term, although from the outset it encompassed not only art brut but also works in the neuve invention category over the years it has been used increasingly loosely and can often now. If its a picture, the frame is either burnt matches glued together or a regular frame painted over to extend the picture. May sarton kay ryan works toward an exciting art, much less sparse than it looks.