Lucien Stryk (April 7, 1924 - January 24, 2013[1][2]) was an American poet, translator of Buddhist literature and Zen poetry, and former English professor at Northern Illinois University (NIU).
Stryk was born in Poland on April 7, 1924, and moved to Chicago aged four, where he spent the remainder of his childhood. He later served as a Forward Observer during World War II in the Pacific. On his return, he studied at Indiana University, and afterwards at the Sorbonne in Paris, London University, and the University of Iowa Writing Program.
From 1958 until his retirement in 1991 Lucien Stryk served on the Northern Illinois University English department faculty. In 1991 NIU awarded him an honorary doctorate for his accomplishments.[3] He also has taught at universities in Japan, and was a Fulbright lecturer both in Japan and in Iran.
Stryk wrote or edited more than two dozen books. These include his own poetry, poetry anthologies and numerous translations of Chinese and Japanese Zen poetry, both classical and contemporary. He also recorded much of his work on Folkways Records. His poetry was influenced by Walt Whitman, Paul Éluard, and Basho, and translated into Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish, Swedish and Italian.
Lucien Stryk twice received the Illinois Arts Council Artist's Grant, and twice the Illinois Arts Council Literary Award. He edited two seminal volumes of Midwestern poetry, Heartland I and Heartland II, which put the Midwest on the literary map. Lucien's sequential portrait of the city, "A Sheaf for Chicago," was first published in Chicago as part of a "Best New Poem" competition shared with John Berryman and Hayden Carruth. That same poem was recently reprinted in the anthology, City of the Big Shoulders: Poems about Chicago (University of Iowa Press, 2012).
Lucien Stryk died January 24, 2013, at St. John's Hospice in London. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery. Lucien Stryk is survived by his wife, Helen; sister, Leonora Krimen; son, Dan Stryk and his wife Suzanne; daughter, Lydia Stryk.
Poetry
Taproot, Fantasy Press, 1953
The Trespasser, Fantasy Press, 1956
Notes for a Guidebook, (The New Poetry Series) AMS Press
Heartland: Poets of the Midwest, (editor) Northern Illinois University Press, 1967
The Pit and Other Poems, Swallow Press, 1969
Awakening, Swallow Press, 1973
Heartland II: Poets of the Midwest, (editor) Northern Illinois University Press, 1975
Selected Poems, Swallow Press, 1976
The Duckpond, Omphalos Press, 1978
Prairie voices: a collection of Illinois poets, Spoon River Poetry Press, 1980, ISBN978-0-933180-21-5
Of Pen & Ink & Paper Scraps, Swallow Press/Ohio University Press, 1989
And Still Birds Sing : New & Collected Poems, Swallow Press/Ohio University Press, 1998, ISBN978-0-8040-1005-4
Where We Are: Selected Poems and Translations, Skoob Books, 1997
Selected non-fiction and works of translation
Zen: Poems, Prayers, Sermons, Anecdotes, Interviews, Doubleday and Co, 1963, reissue: Ohio University Press, 1981
Lucien Stryk, ed. (1968). World of the Buddha: An Introduction to Buddhist Literature. Doubleday. ISBN978-0-8021-3095-2. (reprint Grove Press, 1994, ISBN978-0-8021-3095-2)
Afterimages: Zen Poems of Shinkichi Takahashi, Swallow Press, 1970
Taigan Takayama (1987). Lucien Stryk; Takashi Ikemoto (eds.). Zen poems of China & Japan: the Crane's bill. Translators Lucien Stryk, Takashi Ikemoto. Grove Press. ISBN978-0-8021-3019-8.
The Duckweed Way: Haiku of Issa, Translators Lucien Stryk, Takashi Ikemoto, Rook Press, 1977
Lucien Stryk, Takashi Ikemoto, ed. (1987). The Penguin Book of Zen Poetry. Translators Lucien Stryk, Takashi Ikemoto. Penguin Books. ISBN978-0-14-058599-5.
Encounter with Zen: Writings on Poetry and Zen, Swallow Press, 1981
Bashō Matsuo (1985). Lucien Stryk (ed.). On love and barley: haiku of Basho. Translated by Lucien Stryk. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN978-0-8248-1012-2.
On Love and Barley: Haiku of Basho, Penguin, 1985
Shinkichi Takahashi (2000). Lucien Stryk (ed.). Triumph of the Sparrow: Zen Poems of Shinkichi Takahashi. Translated by Lucien Stryk; Takashi Ikemoto. Grove Press. ISBN978-0-8021-3736-4.
The Dumpling Field: Haiku of Issa, Translator Lucien Stryk, Ohio University Press, 1991
Shinkichi Takahashi (2000). Lucien Stryk (ed.). Triumph of the Sparrow: Zen Poems of Shinkichi Takahashi. Translators Lucien Stryk, Takashi Ikemoto. Grove Press. ISBN978-0-8021-3736-4.
The Awakened Self: Encounters With Zen, Kodansha International, 1995, ISBN978-1-56836-046-1
Lucien Stryk; Takashi Ikemoto, eds. (1995). Zen poetry: let the spring breeze enter. Translated by Lucien Stryk; Takashi Ikemoto. Grove Press. ISBN978-0-8021-3407-3.
About Stryk
Zen, Poetry, the Art of Lucien Stryk. Susan Azar Porterfield, ed. Ohio University Press, 1993.
Interview with Stryk 'Poets & Writers' July/August 1995.
Susan Azar Porterfield, "The War Poetry of Lucien Stryk." Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association Winter 2001
Susan Azar Porterfield, "Thomas James and Lucien Stryk: "and you/My first live poet." The Writer's Chronicle Oct. 2013
References
^Kates, Joan Giangrasse (6 February 2013). "Lucien Stryk, 1924-2013 Retired NIU professor known for poems, Japanese translations". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
^"Lucien H. Stryk". genealogy bank. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
^. Archived from the original on 2015-05-16. Retrieved 2012-11-25.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lucien Stryk.
Northern Illinois University's Statement On His Death
January 20, 2023
lucien, stryk, april, 1924, january, 2013, american, poet, translator, buddhist, literature, poetry, former, english, professor, northern, illinois, university, contents, biography, poetry, selected, fiction, works, translation, about, stryk, references, exter. Lucien Stryk April 7 1924 January 24 2013 1 2 was an American poet translator of Buddhist literature and Zen poetry and former English professor at Northern Illinois University NIU Contents 1 Biography 2 Poetry 3 Selected non fiction and works of translation 4 About Stryk 5 References 6 External linksBiography Edit Stryk s grave in Highgate Cemetery Stryk was born in Poland on April 7 1924 and moved to Chicago aged four where he spent the remainder of his childhood He later served as a Forward Observer during World War II in the Pacific On his return he studied at Indiana University and afterwards at the Sorbonne in Paris London University and the University of Iowa Writing Program From 1958 until his retirement in 1991 Lucien Stryk served on the Northern Illinois University English department faculty In 1991 NIU awarded him an honorary doctorate for his accomplishments 3 He also has taught at universities in Japan and was a Fulbright lecturer both in Japan and in Iran Stryk wrote or edited more than two dozen books These include his own poetry poetry anthologies and numerous translations of Chinese and Japanese Zen poetry both classical and contemporary He also recorded much of his work on Folkways Records His poetry was influenced by Walt Whitman Paul Eluard and Basho and translated into Japanese Chinese French Spanish Swedish and Italian Lucien Stryk twice received the Illinois Arts Council Artist s Grant and twice the Illinois Arts Council Literary Award He edited two seminal volumes of Midwestern poetry Heartland I and Heartland II which put the Midwest on the literary map Lucien s sequential portrait of the city A Sheaf for Chicago was first published in Chicago as part of a Best New Poem competition shared with John Berryman and Hayden Carruth That same poem was recently reprinted in the anthology City of the Big Shoulders Poems about Chicago University of Iowa Press 2012 In 2009 the American Literary Translators Association ALTA announced the inaugural Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prizes Lucien Stryk died January 24 2013 at St John s Hospice in London He is buried in Highgate Cemetery Lucien Stryk is survived by his wife Helen sister Leonora Krimen son Dan Stryk and his wife Suzanne daughter Lydia Stryk Poetry EditTaproot Fantasy Press 1953 The Trespasser Fantasy Press 1956 Notes for a Guidebook The New Poetry Series AMS Press Heartland Poets of the Midwest editor Northern Illinois University Press 1967 The Pit and Other Poems Swallow Press 1969 Awakening Swallow Press 1973 Heartland II Poets of the Midwest editor Northern Illinois University Press 1975 Selected Poems Swallow Press 1976 The Duckpond Omphalos Press 1978 Prairie voices a collection of Illinois poets Spoon River Poetry Press 1980 ISBN 978 0 933180 21 5 Willows Embers Handpress 1983 Collected Poems 1958 1983 Swallow Press 1984 Bells of Lombardy Northern Illinois University Press 1986 ISBN 978 0 87580 127 8 Of Pen amp Ink amp Paper Scraps Swallow Press Ohio University Press 1989 And Still Birds Sing New amp Collected Poems Swallow Press Ohio University Press 1998 ISBN 978 0 8040 1005 4 Where We Are Selected Poems and Translations Skoob Books 1997Selected non fiction and works of translation EditZen Poems Prayers Sermons Anecdotes Interviews Doubleday and Co 1963 reissue Ohio University Press 1981 Lucien Stryk ed 1968 World of the Buddha An Introduction to Buddhist Literature Doubleday ISBN 978 0 8021 3095 2 reprint Grove Press 1994 ISBN 978 0 8021 3095 2 Afterimages Zen Poems of Shinkichi Takahashi Swallow Press 1970 Taigan Takayama 1987 Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto eds Zen poems of China amp Japan the Crane s bill Translators Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto Grove Press ISBN 978 0 8021 3019 8 The Duckweed Way Haiku of Issa Translators Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto Rook Press 1977 Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto ed 1987 The Penguin Book of Zen Poetry Translators Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto Penguin Books ISBN 978 0 14 058599 5 Encounter with Zen Writings on Poetry and Zen Swallow Press 1981 Bashō Matsuo 1985 Lucien Stryk ed On love and barley haiku of Basho Translated by Lucien Stryk University of Hawaii Press ISBN 978 0 8248 1012 2 On Love and Barley Haiku of Basho Penguin 1985 Shinkichi Takahashi 2000 Lucien Stryk ed Triumph of the Sparrow Zen Poems of Shinkichi Takahashi Translated by Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto Grove Press ISBN 978 0 8021 3736 4 Bird of time Haiku of Basho The Dumpling Field Haiku of Issa Translator Lucien Stryk Ohio University Press 1991 Shinkichi Takahashi 2000 Lucien Stryk ed Triumph of the Sparrow Zen Poems of Shinkichi Takahashi Translators Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto Grove Press ISBN 978 0 8021 3736 4 Lucien Stryk ed Cage Of Fireflies Modern Japanese Haiku Swallow Press 1993 ISBN 978 0 8040 0976 8 The Awakened Self Encounters With Zen Kodansha International 1995 ISBN 978 1 56836 046 1 Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto eds 1995 Zen poetry let the spring breeze enter Translated by Lucien Stryk Takashi Ikemoto Grove Press ISBN 978 0 8021 3407 3 About Stryk EditZen Poetry the Art of Lucien Stryk Susan Azar Porterfield ed Ohio University Press 1993 Interview with Stryk Poets amp Writers July August 1995 Susan Azar Porterfield The War Poetry of Lucien Stryk Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association Winter 2001 Susan Azar Porterfield Thomas James and Lucien Stryk and you My first live poet The Writer s ChronicleOct 2013References Edit Kates Joan Giangrasse 6 February 2013 Lucien Stryk 1924 2013 Retired NIU professor known for poems Japanese translations Chicago Tribune Retrieved 31 December 2013 Lucien H Stryk genealogy bank Retrieved 31 December 2013 Northern Illinois University Archived from the original on 2015 05 16 Retrieved 2012 11 25 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lucien Stryk Stryk Discography at Smithsonian Folkways Lucien Stryk PoetryPoetry short note on Stryk Northern Illinois University s Statement On His Death Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lucien Stryk amp oldid 1106614540, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
