Background
Erin Belieu was born on September 25, 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska, United States where she spent her childhood.
Erin Belieu was born on September 25, 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska, United States where she spent her childhood.
Erin Belieu graduated from Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska, a Master of Fine Arts degree from Ohio State University, and a Master of Arts from Boston University.
Erin Belieu’s career started in 1995 with the publication of her first poetry collection, Infanta, named as the best book of the year by the National Book Critics Circle, Library Journal, and The Washington Post. The first one collection was followed by three others, One Above & One Below in 2000, Black Box in 2006 and the most recent, Slant Six in 2014.
Besides her writing activity, Belieu works as an editor: she was the managing editor and poetry editor for AGNI magazine for 5 years. She is also the founding editor of the literary magazine Hotel Amerika. In 2002, Belieu was a co-editor of non thematic anthology of contemporary American women's poetry, The Extraordinary Tide, published in the United States.
Belieu also works as a teacher: she previously taught at Washington University, Boston University, Kenyon College, and Ohio University. Now, she teaches in the highly ranked MFA/Ph.D. Creative Writing Program at Florida State University.
In August 2009, Erin cofounded the national feminist organization Women In Literary Arts.
Quotes from others about the person
"Remarkable for the variety of their accomplishments", "debuts which make us look forward, hopefully, toward long and adventuresome careers" Robert Schultz in the Hudson Review about Infanta.
"Skills are considerable, her craft already well-honed" Al Maginnes, in the American Book Review about Infanta.
"Her gifts – for clarity, consolidation, humor and moments of hard-earned feeling – are old-fashioned ones. She’s a comedian of the human spirit, in league with poets from Frank O’Hara through Deborah Garrison and Tony Hoagland." Slant Six, a New York Times' reviewer.
Erin Belieu has a son.