Research Guides: Rita Dove: Biography

Rita Dove (Born on August 28, 1952)

After completing high school in Akron, Dove moved to the college town of Oxford, Ohio, to continue her education at Miami University. The surrounding countryside, with its barns and silos and its abundant corn and bean fields, also left her with vivid memories that she would later use in her writing. After her graduation from Miami University Dove moved to Germany to continue her studies at the Universität Tübingen. While in Germany, she met her husband, the novelist Fred Viebahn, with whom she had a daughter, Aviva. She returned to the United States to study at the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. In 1977, she received an M.F.A. in creative writing from Iowa and joined the ranks of the school’s famous graduates, many of whom were regular contributors to literary publications such as The American Poetry Review, Georgia Review, and Poetry. Continue . . .

Source: Guillory, Daniel L. “Rita Dove.” Critical Survey of American Literature, Dec. 2016, pp. 792–799. From Literary Reference Center Plus database.

Book Collection

Crossing Color : Transcultural Space and Place in Rita Dove's Poetry, Fiction, and Drama

Resources

Academy of of Achievement: Rita Dove Listen to this achiever on What It Takes. What It Takes is an audio podcast on iTunes produced by the American Academy of Achievement featuring intimate, revealing conversations with influential leaders in the diverse fields of endeavor: music, science and exploration, sports, film, technology, literature, the military and social justice.
An Interview With Rita Dove An interview with African American poet and author Rita Dove is presented. The topics of the interview include her poetry collections, including "On the Bus With Rosa Parks" and "Sonata Mulattica," the useful language systems that she has been working with and the use of the online social networking site Twitter to publish poems.
The Poetry of Dove A summary and analysis of the poetry of Rita Dove.
Poem: Ode to My Right Knee The poem "Ode to My Right Knee" by Rita Dove is presented. First Line: Oh, obstreperous one, ornery outside of ordinary; Last Line: Kindly keep kicking.
Poem: Pretty Boy Presents the poem "Pretty Boy," by Rita Dove. First Line: Can't say he walked the walk. Last Line: a cup.
Poem: Floating Requiem Presents the poem "Floating Requiem," by Rita Dove. First Line: Summer ended powerfully—as if God; Last Line: further south.
Rita Dove Poetry Reading April 1, 2016 Here Rita Dove (http://aalbc.it/ritapoet), the Pulitzer Prize winning poet reads a sample of her work spanning a period of almost 40 years, including poetry from her upcoming collection, COLLECTED POEMS: 1974-2004 (W. W. Norton & Co, May 17, 2016) Recorded, April 1, 2016, during the 13th National Black Writers Conference. The Conference is hosted by the center for Black literature at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York. The conference is the only one of it kind in the united states. AALBC.com has been a program supporter and steering committee member for over a decade. If you enjoy this video, please support us by sharing it with others, and subscribing to our youtube channel.

From Films On Demand database:

Poet Laureate Rita Dove A Pulitzer Prize-winner before she was 35, Rita Dove is the youngest poet to have held the post of Poet Laureate of the United States (1993-1995). In this program with Bill Moyers, Dove talks about her life and work, the relationship between poetry and power, and her plans for taking poetry to the people. The program also features Dove reading extensive selections from her works (including her Pulitzer Prize-winning collection Thomas and Beulah) and in performance before an audience. (60 minutes)
Rita Dove: Decoding the Language of Poetry In this edition of Moyers & Company, Bill Moyers welcomes former U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove, who received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama. Dove served two terms as poet laureate, the youngest and the first African-American to be named to that prestigious position. Through an intimate conversation and select readings, Moyers and Dove explore American history, language, culture, and ideas. They also talk about the responsibility and controversy that comes with editing a prestigious anthology, as Dove was recently tasked for The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry. Broadcast date: February 17, 2012. (28 minutes)
Films featuring Rita Dove Rita Dove is the first United States African-American poet Laureate. Her mother would speak little lines of Shakespeare when she was a child