Naomi Guttman
Jane Watson Irwin Professor of Literature and Creative Writing
Naomi Guttman’s book Reasons for Winter won the A.M. Klein Award for Poetry. Her second book, Wet Apples, White Blood, was co-winner of the Adirondack Center for Writers’ Best Book of Poems for 2007. She has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, the Artist’s Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts and has been a resident at Yaddo and the Chateau de Lavigny. A novella-in-verse, The Banquet of Donny & Ari: Scenes from the Opera, was published by Brick Books in March, 2015.
Recent Courses Taught
Introduction to Literary Study
Poetry and Poetics
Introduction to Creative Writing
Intermediate Poetry-Writing
Contemporary American Poetry
Contemplative Poetries and Poetic Practice
Honors Independent Study
Senior Seminar in Creative Writing
Food for Thought
Distinctions
- Vermont Studio Center residency, October, 2012
- Chateau de Lavigny, Lavigny, Switzerland, month-long residency, July-August, 2012
- Writer-in-Residence, Young Writer’s Workshop, Colgate University, August, 2011
- Emerson Student-Faculty Collaboration Grant, Hamilton College, summer, 2011
- Scholar-Facilitator Grant, New York Council for the Humanities for “Together,” a family library reading group, spring, 2009 and winter, 2011
- Best Poetry Book, 2007 for Wet Apples, White Blood: The Adirondack Center for Writing, June, 2008
- Grant for Professional Writers, Canada Council for the Arts, March, 2008
- Individual Artist’s Grant, Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, May, 2002
- Artist’s Residency, Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, July, 2002 (declined)
- Artist’s Fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts, 2001
- Emerson Student-Faculty Collaboration Grant, Hamilton College, Summer, 2001
- Finalist, James Hearst Poetry Prize, North American Review, March, 2001 (declined)
- Finalist, Larry Levis Poetry Prize, The Missouri Review, March, 2001
- Finalist, Publishing Online Poetry Prize, February, 2001
- Outstanding semi-finalist for content, Lyric Recovery Poetry Competition, April, 2000
- Grant for Professional Writers, Canada Council for the Arts, March, 2000
- Residency, Yaddo, November, 1999 and May, 2000
- Doctoral fellowship from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, 1994-96
- A.M. Klein Award in poetry for Reasons for Winter, granted by QSPELL, 1992
- Reasons for Winter shortlisted, League of Canadian Poets’ Pat Lowther Memorial Award, 1991
- Teaching fellowship, Loyola Marymount University, 1991 and 1992
- Artist’s Support Grant from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Quebec, 1989
- Ken McVey Memorial Award from the Alberta Foundation for the Literary Arts, 1989
- Bliss Carman Award for Lyric Poetry, the Banff Centre School for Fine Arts, 1989
- Residency, The May Writers’ Studio, The Banff Centre School for Fine Arts, Alberta, 1989
Selected Publications
- The Banquet of Donny & Ari: Scenes From the Opera. Brick Books, London, Ontario, 2015.
- Wet Apples, White Blood, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal & Kingston, 2007.
- Reasons for Winter, London (Ontario): Brick Books, 1991.
- “Supermarket blues,” “Table d’hôte,” “Putting by,” and “Feast and famine,” Gastronomica, Volume 13, Issue 3, August 2013.
- “Thin Wishes” and “Domestic Dirge,” in Cincinnati Review. Fall, 2012. 158-159.
- “Sour Teeth,” in Chirograph, the blog of The Toronto Review of Books, Summer, 2012. http://www.torontoreviewofbooks.com/2012/10/choice-poems-zach-wells-and-naomi-guttman/
- “Scenes From the Opera,” an essay on The Banquet of Donny & Ari, and nine poems: “State of the union,” “La dolce vita,” “Western chorus frog,” “Black leather couch,” “Minatory spring,” “Construction site,” “The long marriage,” “Early Music,” “Cockshut.” Arc Poetry Magazine, February, 2012. 42-53.
- “The Panda Says Goodbye,” reprinted in Waving Long Beautiful Arms, English-Language Poetry From Quebec Montreal: Quebec Federation of Writers, 2011.
- "Of Stone," "Head to Toe," "Hungry Gorge," and "Dream Riders." The Hamilton Stone Review #25, Roger Mitchell, editor: http://www.hamiltonstone.org/hsr25poetry.html
- “Lullaby,” in Measure, 5:1&2, 2010, 171.
- “After Hours,” in Stone Canoe Number 3, January, 2009, page 30.
- “Ultrasounds” and “Girl in the Butterfly House” reprinted, “For Rent” and “Why We Have Lived so Luckily,” Anthology, Visiting Authors 2007, Syracuse: Downtown Writer’s Center, 2007, 71-75.
- “Girl in the Butterfly House,” Oberon¸ Summer, 2006, page 57.
- “The Whelping,” Marlboro Review #19, Summer, 2006, page 70.
- “Katie Flower” and “Two Rivers,” Connecticut Review, Spring, 2004, pages 118-119.
College Service
- Humanities @ Hamilton Organizing Committee, 2013-present
- Originator of Contemplative Pedagogy Group on campus, 2007
- Member of the Common Reading Committee, 2010-12
- Director of the Diversity and Social Justice Project, 2008-11
- Community Outreach and Opportunity Project (COOP) board member, 2009-10
- Member of the Diversity Coordinating Council, 2008-present
- Member of the Diversity and Social Justice Project Executive Committee, 2006-08
- Member of the Committee on Student Activities, 2005-08
- Chair, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Board, 2004-05
- Member of the Harassment Grievance Board, 2002-04
- Search for tenure track position in twentieth century narrative fiction, fall 2013.
- Search for tenure track position in creative writing, poetry, spring 2012.
- Coordinator, Honors Program in Creative Writing, 2010-12
- Co-director of the Visiting Writers Series and the February Writer-in-Residency
- Second reader for several Honors’ English theses
- Director of Honors Creative Writing Program
- Coordinator and/or judge of English Department writing prizes
Appointed to the Faculty
1996Educational Background
Ph.D., University of Southern California
M.A., Loyola Marymount University
M.F.A., Warren Wilson College
B.F.A., Concordia University
