Wiman to Receive 30th Aiken Taylor Award

Christian Wiman will be this year’s recipient of the Aiken Taylor Award in Modern American Poetry, the Sewanee Review announced recently. In addition to his writing, Wiman is also respected for translation, criticism and editing. The Review described him as “an important citizen in the republic of letters, not just for his creative work, but also for the ways he has fostered the careers of others—primarily as a landmark editor of Poetry magazine, joining the ranks of great past editors.”

At 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18, in Convocation Hall, Vice-Chancellor John McCardell will make the presentation of the award, followed by a reading by Wiman and a reception. 

Adam Kirsch (poet and critic for the New Yorker, the New Republic and the New York Review of Books) will give a lecture on Wiman’s career at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17, in the McGriff Alumni House, also followed by a reception. [See story on page 4.]

Events celebrating Wiman and the Aiken Taylor Award in its 30th year will be presided over for the final time by George Core, editor of the Sewanee Review for the past 43 years.

Wiman has published six collections of poetry, including “Every Riven Thing” (2010), named one of the New Yorker’s best poetry collections of the year, and “Once in the West” (2014), a finalist for the National Book Critics’ 

Circle Award. Wiman has taught at Northwestern University, Stanford University, Lynchburg College and the Prague School of Economics. In 2003 he became editor of Poetry magazine. During his tenure, the magazine was honored with two National Magazine Awards. Wiman now teaches literature and religion at Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.

Through the generosity of K. P. A. Taylor, the Sewanee Review established in 1986 an annual award honoring a distinguished American poet for the work of a career. Howard Nemerov was the first poet honored and was followed by Richard Wilbur, Anthony Hecht and W. S. Merwin. The other recipients of this prize include Maxine Kumin, Wendell Berry, Donald Hall, Louise Glück, Billy Collins, William Logan, Debora Greger, Dana Gioia and last year, Marie Ponsot.