Maxine Kumin

Date of Birth: June 6, 1925

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Date of Death: February 6, 2014

Biography

Maxine Kumin, an influential American poet and author, was born on June 6, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She grew up in a Jewish family and displayed an early affinity for literature and writing. Kumin attended Radcliffe College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1946. After college, she continued her education at the Boston Center for Adult Education, where she studied with John Holmes and met Anne Sexton, who became a close friend and collaborator. Kumin’s first poetry collection, “Halfway,” was published in 1961. She went on to write numerous volumes of poetry, fiction, essays, and children’s books. Her work is noted for its deep connection to nature, rural life, and themes of family and personal history. Kumin received many accolades throughout her career, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1973 for her collection “Up Country: Poems of New England.” In addition to her literary achievements, Kumin was an advocate for social justice, environmental issues, and animal rights. She taught at many institutions, including Tufts University, Columbia University, and Princeton University, and served as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1981 to 1982. Maxine Kumin passed away on February 6, 2014, in Warner, New Hampshire, leaving behind a legacy of profound and evocative poetry.

5 Interesting Facts about Maxine Kumin

1. Maxine Kumin won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1973 for her collection “Up Country: Poems of New England.”

2. She was a close friend and collaborator with fellow poet Anne Sexton, and they often wrote together.

3. Kumin served as the Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1981 to 1982.

4. In addition to poetry, she wrote novels, essays, and children’s books, showcasing her versatility as a writer.

5. Kumin was deeply committed to animal welfare and environmental causes, often reflecting these concerns in her work.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Maxine Kumin

1. “The time is ripe for looking back over the day, the week, the year, and trying to figure out where we have come from and where we are going to.”

2. “In the end, we are all the sum total of our actions. Character cannot be counterfeited, nor can it be put on and cast off as if it were clothing.”

3. “Our poems, like our children, begin as part of ourselves and then gradually become independent beings.”

4. “I think of a poem as being deeper for having been lived through.”

5. “The poet’s job is to find a name for everything: to be a fearless finder of the names of things.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Maxine Kumin’s highest net worth is not widely documented, but her success as a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet undoubtedly brought her recognition and financial stability.