Prize-Winning American Lyrical Poet, Gerald Stern, dies at 97

American poet, essayist, and educator Gerald Daniel Stern was taught literature and creative writing at Temple University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Raritan Valley Community College, and Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

He is the author of twenty poetry collections and four essay books.

Gerald Stern, a lyric poet with awards, passes away at the age of 97.

Gerald Stern, one of the most adored and revered poets in the nation, has passed away. He was known for his spirited melancholy and earthy humor and his poems about his childhood, Judaism, mortality, and the wonders of the contemplative life. He was 97.

According to his lifelong partner Anne Marie Macari, Stern, who served as the first poet laureate of New Jersey, passed away on Thursday at the Calvary Hospice in New York City. The reason for death was not disclosed in a statement from Macari that publisher WW Norton released on Saturday.

The balding, round-eyed Stern, who won the National Book Award in 1998 for the anthology “This Time,” was sometimes mistaken for Allen Ginsberg in person and frequently compared to Walt Whitman because of his lyrical and sensual writing style and his talent for uniting the material world with the larger cosmos.

Although Stern’s upbringing in Pittsburgh’s gritty urban environment had a significant influence on him, he also developed a strong affinity for nature and animals, marveling at the “power” of a maple tree, comparing himself to hummingbirds or squirrels, or discovering the “secret of life” in a dead animal on the side of the road.

Lifelong Atheist

The poet wrote more than a dozen novels and characterized himself as “part humorous, part idealistic, tinged in irony, smeared with mocking and sarcasm.” He was a lifelong atheist who also fervently believed in “the idea of the Jew.”

Gerald wrote with a particular fervor about the past in his poetry and essays, including his immigrant parents, long-lost acquaintances and loves, and the stark differences between Pittsburgh’s rich and poor, Jews and non-Jews. He believed that the poem “The One Thing in Life,” from the 1977 book “Lucky Life,” best captured who he was.

Gerald Stern’s Age, Family, and Early Life 

Gerald Stern was 97 years old. On February 22, 1925, Stern was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His Jewish parents, Harry and Ida Barach Stern arrived in the country from Poland and Ukraine, respectively, in 1905.

gerald stern age

They operated a number of clothes businesses and also offered other goods, such as cigars.

Gerald Stern Career, What was his Profession?

In 1949–1950, he pursued post-graduate work at the University of Paris, and during his twenties, he lived in New York City and traveled frequently to Europe. He began to create and publish poetry at that time.

After the 1977 publication of Lucky Life, which was the Lamont Poetry Selection for that year, and of a series of essays on poetry writing in American Poetry Review, his work gained widespread recognition. In addition to the 2012 Library of Congress Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Award for Early Collected Poems: 1965–1992, he also won the 1998 National Book Award for This Time: New and Selected Poems, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize in 1996, and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize in 1998.

He served as New Jersey’s Poet Laureate from 2000 to 2002 and was honored with the Academy of American Poets’ Wallace Stevens Award in 2005. Stern assumed the position of chancellor of the Academy of American Poets in 2006.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Stern was a professor at Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Raritan Valley Community College, and Temple University. In the middle of the 1970s, Stern served as a literature consultant for the Councils of the Arts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as the coordinator for Pennsylvania’s poetry in schools initiative. The Master of Fine Arts Program in Poetry at New England College was co-founded and taught by Stern.

The Master of Fine Arts Program in Poetry at New England College was co-founded and taught by Stern. He was the other distinguished poet-in-residence for the program, Jean Valentine, at the time of his death. His tenure at Drew University’s low-residency MFA Program in Poetry began on January 20, 2023.

Which school and college did she go to?

Stern graduated in 1942 from Taylor Allderdice High School in his hometown. He was first turned down for military service because of his bad eyesight, but after the military reevaluated him, he served in the Army Air Forces from 1946 to 1947.

Gerald received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh in 1947 after completing his studies there. He graduated from Columbia University with a Master of Arts two years later.

Gerald Stern Net Worth, How much does he earn?

Gerald Stern’s income and net worth are not disclosed in the public domain. We can suppose that he made enough money to support himself and his family comfortably.

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Gerald Stern Wife, What was his relationship?

In 1952, Stern married Patricia Miller. They had two kids together. The couple split up in the 1980s.

Is he available on any social media platforms?

Gerald Stern s nowhere to be found on any social media platforms. We did a quick search for the social media reach of him but weren’t able to find him on any social media apps such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

FAQs about Gerald Stern.

Who is Gerald Stern?

Gerald Daniel Stern, an American poet, writer, and educator, has taught literature and creative writing at institutions like Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Raritan Valley Community College, and Temple University. Twenty poetry collections and four essay books are written by him.

How old is Gerald Stern?

Gerald Stern was 97 years old.

What happened to Gerald Stern?

Gerald Stern, one of the nation’s most beloved and esteemed poets, has passed away. He was renowned for his poems on his youth, Judaism, mortality, and the wonders of the contemplative life, as well as for his vibrant melancholy and earthy humor. He was 97.

What is Gerald Stern’s net worth?

The public is not informed about Stern’s earnings or wealth. We can assume that he earned enough money to comfortably sustain himself and his family.

When was Gerald Stern born?

On February 22, 1925, Stern was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Is Gerald Stern available on any social media platforms?

There is no trace of Gerald Stern on any social media sites. When we quickly searched for him on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, we were unable to locate him.

Is Gerald Stern dating anyone?

Stern wed Patricia Miller in 1952. Together, they had two children. The 1980s saw the couple’s divorce.

Physical Appearance of Gerald Stern’s Height, Weight

HeightFeet: N / A
Meter: N / A
Centimeter: N / A  
WeightKilogram: N / A  
Pounds: N / A  
Hair ColourWhite
Eye ColourGrey
Body type Brown
Sexual OrientationStraight

Interesting facts about Gerald Stern’s which should be known

NationalityAmerican
EthnicityWhite
Zodiac SignPisces
Net WorthN / A
Single/ In a relationship/Married/DivorcedDivorced
Current SpouseNone
Children2

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