Poet, professor of rhetoric and oral interpretation
Spouse
Carol N. Nathan
Children
Andrew Peter, Julia Irene, Miriam Abigail
Born in El Monte, California, Nathan earned a bachelor's degree in English at UC Berkeley in 1950, a master's degree in English in 1952 and a Ph.D. in 1961. He was then hired as a lecturer in UC Berkeley's Department of Speech, and was promoted to associate professor in 1965 and to professor in 1968.
The author of 17 volumes of poetry, Nathan has been described as "a fixture for 50 years in literary circles both on and off the UC Berkeley campus." Ted Kooser, a recent U.S. poet laureate and an English professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, counted Nathan among his mentors, particularly for his "economy of words."
"He was among the finest poets of his generation and will be missed by all of us who practice the art", said Kooser, who struck up a correspondence with Nathan in the 1970s after complimenting Nathan on a poem he had seen in a magazine.[2]
Nathan's first book of poems, Western Reaches, brims with images of the California landscape. After a year in India, he published a book about his experiences there titled, The Likeness: Poems out of India. That same year, Princeton University Press published Nathan's Returning Your Call, which was nominated for a National Book Award.[2]
His prose included Diary of a Left-Handed Bird Watcher and The Poet's Work, an Introduction to Czesław Miłosz. He also collaborated on a number of translations, most notably with Milosz on the poems of Anna Swir and Aleksander Wat.
The Tragic Drama of William Butler Yeats: Figures in a Dance (Columbia University Press, 1965)
The Matchmaker's Lament (Gehenna Press, 1967)
The Day the Perfect Speakers Left (Wesleyan University Press, 1969)
Flight Plan (Cedar Hill Press, 1971)
First Person, Second Person, A Selection from the Work of "Agyeya" (translation with Sachchidananda) (University of California, 1971)
The Likeness: Poems out of India (Thorpe Springs Press, 1975)
Returning Your Call (Princeton University Press, 1975)
Teachings of Grandfather Fox (Serendipity Books Distribution, 1976)
The Transport of Love: Kālidāsa's The Mēghadūa (University of California Press, 1977)
Dear Blood (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1980)
Holding Patterns (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1982)
Songs of Something Else: Poems of Gunnar Eklöf (translation with James Larson) (Princeton University Press, 1982)
Carrying On: New and Selected Poems (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985)
With the Skin: Poems of Aleksander Wat (translation with Czesław Miłosz) (Ecco, 1989)
The Poet's Work, an Introduction to Czesław Miłosz (Harvard University Press, 1991)
Talking to My Body: Poems of Anna Swir (translation with Czesław Miłosz) (Copper Canyon Press, 1996)
Diary of a Left-Handed Birdwatcher (Graywolf Press, 1996)
Captain of the Butterflies: Poems by Cees Nooteboom (translation with Herlinde Spahr) (Sun and Moon Press, 1997)
The Potato Eaters (Orchises Press, 1998)
Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair: Poems of Rāmprasād Sen (translation with Clinton Seely) (Hohm Press, 1999)
Tears of the Old Magician (Orchises Press, 2003)
Restarting the World (Orchises Press, 2006)
Ragged Sonnets (Orchises Press, 2008)
Notesedit
^Professor and Poet ‘Loved To Play With the Language’ 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine obituary from the Daily Californian
^ abcLeonard Nathan, distinguished poet, dies at 82 obituary/press release from UC Berkeley news website
January 01, 1970
leonard, nathan, leonard, nathan, november, 1924, june, 2007, american, poet, critic, professor, emeritus, rhetoric, university, california, berkeley, where, retired, 1991, photo, courtesy, andrew, nathanbornedward, november, 1924el, monte, californiadiedjune,. Leonard E Nathan November 8 1 1924 June 3 2007 was an American poet critic and professor emeritus of rhetoric at the University of California Berkeley where he retired in 1991 Leonard NathanPhoto courtesy of Andrew NathanBornEdward Leonard NathanNovember 8 1924El Monte CaliforniaDiedJune 3 2007Marin CaliforniaOccupationPoet professor of rhetoric and oral interpretationSpouseCarol N NathanChildrenAndrew Peter Julia Irene Miriam Abigail Born in El Monte California Nathan earned a bachelor s degree in English at UC Berkeley in 1950 a master s degree in English in 1952 and a Ph D in 1961 He was then hired as a lecturer in UC Berkeley s Department of Speech and was promoted to associate professor in 1965 and to professor in 1968 Among other honors he received the National Institute of Arts and Letters prize for poetry a Guggenheim Fellowship the Phelan Award for Narrative Poetry and three silver medals from the Commonwealth Club of California including one for The Potato Eaters His poems were also published in The New Yorker The Atlantic New England Review and The Georgia Review among other publications 2 Overview editThe author of 17 volumes of poetry Nathan has been described as a fixture for 50 years in literary circles both on and off the UC Berkeley campus Ted Kooser a recent U S poet laureate and an English professor at the University of Nebraska Lincoln counted Nathan among his mentors particularly for his economy of words He was among the finest poets of his generation and will be missed by all of us who practice the art said Kooser who struck up a correspondence with Nathan in the 1970s after complimenting Nathan on a poem he had seen in a magazine 2 Nathan s first book of poems Western Reaches brims with images of the California landscape After a year in India he published a book about his experiences there titled The Likeness Poems out of India That same year Princeton University Press published Nathan s Returning Your Call which was nominated for a National Book Award 2 His prose included Diary of a Left Handed Bird Watcher and The Poet s Work an Introduction to Czeslaw Milosz He also collaborated on a number of translations most notably with Milosz on the poems of Anna Swir and Aleksander Wat Nathan died in Marin California in 2007 Bibliography editWestern Reaches Talisman Press 1958 Glad and Sorry Seasons Random House 1964 The Tragic Drama of William Butler Yeats Figures in a Dance Columbia University Press 1965 The Matchmaker s Lament Gehenna Press 1967 The Day the Perfect Speakers Left Wesleyan University Press 1969 Flight Plan Cedar Hill Press 1971 First Person Second Person A Selection from the Work of Agyeya translation with Sachchidananda University of California 1971 The Likeness Poems out of India Thorpe Springs Press 1975 Returning Your Call Princeton University Press 1975 Teachings of Grandfather Fox Serendipity Books Distribution 1976 The Transport of Love Kalidasa s The Meghadua University of California Press 1977 Dear Blood University of Pittsburgh Press 1980 Holding Patterns University of Pittsburgh Press 1982 Songs of Something Else Poems of Gunnar Eklof translation with James Larson Princeton University Press 1982 Carrying On New and Selected Poems University of Pittsburgh Press 1985 With the Skin Poems of Aleksander Wat translation with Czeslaw Milosz Ecco 1989 The Poet s Work an Introduction to Czeslaw Milosz Harvard University Press 1991 Talking to My Body Poems of Anna Swir translation with Czeslaw Milosz Copper Canyon Press 1996 Diary of a Left Handed Birdwatcher Graywolf Press 1996 Captain of the Butterflies Poems by Cees Nooteboom translation with Herlinde Spahr Sun and Moon Press 1997 The Potato Eaters Orchises Press 1998 Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair Poems of Ramprasad Sen translation with Clinton Seely Hohm Press 1999 Tears of the Old Magician Orchises Press 2003 Restarting the World Orchises Press 2006 Ragged Sonnets Orchises Press 2008 Notes edit Professor and Poet Loved To Play With the Language Archived 2007 09 27 at the Wayback Machine obituary from the Daily Californian a b c Leonard Nathan distinguished poet dies at 82 obituary press release from UC Berkeley news website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leonard Nathan amp oldid 1218946811, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
