LYN COFFIN
EDUCATION
Honorary PhD, World Academy Arts and Culture (UNICEF) granted for “writing excellence and efforts on behalf of world peace.” XXVII World Congress of Poets, Chennai, India, 2007
M.S.W (Honors, University of Michigan School of Social Work). May 1987. Specialized study in Interpersonal Relationships.
M.A. (University of Michigan). May 1975
M.A.T. (Teacher’s College, Columbia University). Specialized in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. June 1967
B.A. (Honors English, University of Michigan). Phi Beta Kappa, Magna cum laude, June 1965
BOOKS
Human Trappings, Abattoir Editions (1980)
Elegies by Jiří Orten, CVU Press, (1981). Translation from Czech.
The Plague Column by Jaroslav Seifert, CVU Press (1981). Translation from Czech used by the Nobel Committee in granting Seifert his prize.
The Poetry of Wickedness, Ithaca House (1982)
Poems of Akhmatova, W.W. Norton (1983). Translation from Russian. Reviewed in The New York
Review of Books.
Crystals of the Unforeseen, Plain View Press (1999)
More than One Life, by Miloslava Holubova, Northwestern University Press (2000). Translation from Czech, with Zdenka Brodska, and Alex Zucker.
Islands in the Stream of Time, by Germain Droogenbroodt, (2008). Translation from Dutch, with
the collaboration of the author.
White Picture", by Jiri Orten (2011). Translation from the Czech, with Eva Eckert, Zdenka
Brodska, Leda Pugh. Night Publishing, UK, (2011).
East and West, poems (and Mongolian translations), with Bavuudorj Tsog. Ulaanbataar, (2012).
"მე ორივე ვარ" ("I Am Both"). Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, translated into Georgian by Gia
Jokhadze, Mertskuli (Tbilisi), 2012.
Joseph Brodsky was Joseph Brodsky, Levan Kavleli Publishing, 2012 (This book was reviewed by Judith Roche, in Big Bridge, 2013)
Georgian Anthology of Poetry, Translation from Georgian, ed, by Dodona Kiziria, with the help of Gia Jokhadze. Slavica (Indiana University), September, 2013.
Animalarky, by Zaza Abiadnidze. Translation from Georgian, September, 2013.
"Miniatures," poetry by Giorgi Kekelidze. Translation from Georgian, October, 2013.
Still Life with Snow, by Dato Barbakadze. Translation from Georgian, with Nato Alhazishvili, 2014.
(This book received a $2000 translation award from the Georgian Ministry of Culture and
Monuments.)
A Taste of Cascadia, two plays. Whale Road Books, March, 2015.
The First Honeymoon, short fiction. Iron Twine Press, April, 2015.
10 by 10, (plays by Lyn and Natalya Churlyaeva in Russian and English, face en face). Bedouin
Books, August, 2015.
The Knight in the Panther Skin, by Shota Rustaveli, poetry. Translation from Georgian. Poezia
Press. September, 2015.
A Marriage Without Consummation, poetry, with Givi Alkhazishvili. English and Georgian, Whale
Road Books. April 2016.
Standing on Earth, the poetry of Mohsen Emadi, Phoneme Media [1]. Translated from the Persian
with the author, September, 2016.
A Boy Named Piccolo, translated from the Georgian with Nika Muskheli, Transcendent Zero Press,
August, 2016. illustrated by Vaho Muskheli.
Henry and Punkin, Iron Twine Press, August, 2016. Illustrated by Reza Bigonah.
Aphorisms of Shota Rustaveli, Poezia Press, 2017.
This Green Life, New and Collected Poems, Transcendent Zero Press, 2017.
Complete Poetry of Baratashvili, translated from the Georgian.
La Vida Verde, Selected poems translated into Spanish, Pregunta Ediciones, 2018
Short stories
“The Second Page”, Catholic Digest, 1968.
“Falling Off the Scaffold”, Michigan Quarterly Review, 1978. Reprinted in Best American Short Stories of 1979 (ed. Joyce Carol Oates).
“Lesson in Black and White”, Ball State Forum, Winter 1981
“Front Towards Enemy”, Michigan Quarterly Review, Winter 1981
“The Gift Horse”, The Bridge: Journal of Poetry and Fiction, Winter 1998
“Her Political Body”, The Rackham Review, 1989
“Polar Bear in a Snowstorm”, Pierian Springs Journal (online), 2003
The Auction”, Golden Handcuffs Review, 2004
“A Ghost from the Future”, short story, Departed Family and Friends, Atriad Press, 2005
“Back from the USSR”, Mad Hatter Review, Issue 12, May 2011
Plays:
Scores of plays performed or read at Emerging Artists’ Theatre (New York), Nordic Museum (Seattle), TaDa! Theater in New York, Boston University’s Playwright Theatre, Where Eagles Dare Theater in New York, Odd Duck Studios, Short + Sweet SIngapore, ArtsWest (as part of Seattle Playwrights’ Studio Showcase), Craft Theatre (Ann Arbor), Attic Theatre (Detroit), Performance Network Theatre (Ann Arbor). Trueblood Theatre at University of Michigan, Purple Rose Theatre (Chelsea, Michigan) Stone Soup Theatre (Seattle), Richard Hugo House, Due North, TPS Stage 4, on the radio and on television
Individual Poetry Publications
Over a hundred poems published in many periodicals, including Aspen Leaves, Michigan Quarterly Review, New Orleans Review, Aspen Anthology, National College Poetry Review, Iowa Review, Andover Review, Bits, Poetry Now, Dakotah Territory, Concerning Poetry, Descant, Poet Lore, Southern Humanities Review, Wind, Denver Quarterly, Kansas Quarterly, Hollins Critic, Ball State University Forum, Poet Lore, Literary Review, Northeast Review, Green River Review, The Portland Review, Webster Review, Focus/Midwest, Hiram Poetry Review, Chiaroscuro, Prairie Schooner, Cross Currents, Paunch, Poultry, Blue Ox Review, New Collage, Confrontation, Footwork, Midwest Review, Mid-American Review, Gryphon, The Blue Moon Review, About Place Journal.
Essays and articles:
• “Guantanamo in Tacoma,” “The N Word,” other essays, speakwithoutinterruption.com, 2010-2011
• “So Many Windows- Review of Judith Roche’s The Wisdom of the Body”, Big Bridge, 2008
• “Dear Ron: A Review of Ron Sukenick’s stories”, Golden Handcuffs Review, Fall 2007
• “Joseph Brodsky was Joseph Brodsky”: a memoir, published online at Point Editions, and in a Hungarian literary Journal, 2008/ 2009
• “On Jaroslav Seifert”, Concerning Poetry, international issue, vol. 17, no. 2, 1984
• “A.R. Ammons”, Encyclopedia of World Literature in the Twentieth Century, vol. 1, 1981
• “The Inside is Outside; A Review of Six First Books of Poetry”, Michigan Quarterly Review, Fall 1978
• “Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem”, Generation, 1964
Anthologies/Chapbooks:
• Poetry in ‘Many Trails to the Summit’, an anthology of Pacific Northwest Poets, edited by David Horowitz, Rose Alley Press, 2010.
• Poetry in ‘ ‘Limbs of the Pine, Peaks of the Range, an anthology of Pacific Northwest Poets, edited by David Horowitz, Rose Alley Press, 2007.
• Wild Turkeys, poetry slam chapbook, 1998.
• Poetry in Wind Eyes: A Woman’s Reader and Writing Source, an anthology of work by eight women writers. Plain View Press, 1997.
Awards:
• PEN nominee for Seattle Poet Populist, 2006
• Competed National Poetry Slam, Ann Arbor team, (only woman), Austin, 1998
• Major and Minor Hopwood Awards in every category (Drama, Short Fiction, Long Fiction, Poetry, and Essay) 1965.
• First prize in Translation from the Academy of American Poets for translation of Orten’s Elegies. 1975?
• First prize in the International Poetry Review for “Selected Orten Translations,” Spring, 1980.
• Finalist in the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville Short Play Competition
• Recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant (?)
• Second place winner of the Porad Haiku Award (2004)
• First prize, Jeanne Lohmann Poetry Award (2004)
• “Best Poems and Poets of 2005″, poetry.com
• Winner, Bart Baxter Performance Poetry Award (2006)
• Runner-up, Genghis Khan Poetry Prize (World Congress of Poets, Mongolia) 2006
• Winner, Gandhi Poetry Prize (World Congress of Poets, India) 2007
• Finalist, Bart Baxter Performance Poetry Competition, April 2004
Performances/Appearances:
Wordsworth Poet, August, 2013
• Soul Food Books, Redmond, reading with Judith Roche, November, 2012
• Jewish Community Center, Ann Arbor, performance with Laz Slomovits, musician
• It’s About Time Writing Series, Seattle Public Library, Ballard, November 2011
• Jewish Book Festival, featured artist with Laz Slomowitz, November 3, 2011
• Reading Gallery 110- Performance as part of Peg & Frank, October, 2011
• Reading / Interview / Guest teaching Miss Halls School, January 2011
www.misshalls.org/…/default.aspx…Lyn+Coffin
• “ISO a Date” comedic short, Youtube, March 2009
• “Depression, a Comedy” – serio-comic short, March 2009
• Performed Alki Stage, Bumbershoot, September 3, 2004
• Wrote AOL’s poetry column late 1990s
• Performed Alki Stage, Bumbershoot, September 3, 2004
• Featured reader Tacoma, One World One Love series, Fall 2004
• Launched Hugo House’s “Writers on Work” program, April, 2004
• Local readings: Magnolia Bookstore, (February, 2004) subsequently: Burning Word, Elliot Bay, Hugo House, Frye Art Museum, Park Place Books, the Nordic Museum
• Online writing consultant (www.projectstory.com/lynCoffin/) current Interviews
• J Glenn Evans, KSER, www.poetswest.com/radio_programs.htm, Lyn Coffin Part I, #217, Lyn Coffin Part II, 2012
• Elizabeth Austen, KUOW, Poet Lyn Coffin Translates Jiri Orten’s ‘A Small Elegy’, 12/28/2011
• Launched Hugo House’s “Writers on Work” program, April, 2004
• First local reading, Magnolia Bookstore, February, 2004
• Online writing consultant (www.projectstory.com/lynCoffin/)
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