Sharon Olds
Biography of Sharon Olds
Full Name and Common Aliases
Full Name: Sharon Olds
Common Aliases: None
Birth and Death Dates
Birth Date: November 19, 1942
Death Date: N/A
Nationality and Profession(s)
Nationality: American
Profession(s): Poet, Educator
Early Life and Background
Sharon Olds was born on November 19, 1942, in San Francisco, California. Raised in a conservative and religious household, Olds' early life was marked by strict discipline and a rigid moral framework. Her upbringing in such an environment would later become a significant influence on her poetry, which often explores themes of family dynamics, personal trauma, and the complexities of human relationships. Olds attended Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964. She later pursued a Ph.D. in English at Columbia University, where she honed her craft and developed her distinctive voice as a poet.
Major Accomplishments
Sharon Olds is celebrated for her candid and unflinching exploration of personal and familial themes. Her work has garnered numerous accolades, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2013 for her collection "Stag's Leap," which poignantly chronicles the end of her marriage. Olds has also received the National Book Critics Circle Award and the T.S. Eliot Prize, among other honors. Her ability to transform deeply personal experiences into universal truths has earned her a place among the most respected contemporary poets.
Notable Works or Actions
Olds' body of work is characterized by its raw honesty and emotional depth. Her debut collection, "Satan Says," published in 1980, established her as a powerful new voice in American poetry. The collection's bold exploration of taboo subjects set the tone for her subsequent works. "The Dead and the Living," published in 1984, further cemented her reputation, winning the National Book Critics Circle Award. Other notable collections include "The Gold Cell," "The Father," and "One Secret Thing." Each of these works delves into themes of love, loss, and the human condition, often drawing from Olds' own life experiences.
Impact and Legacy
Sharon Olds' impact on the world of poetry is profound. Her willingness to confront difficult and often uncomfortable subjects has paved the way for a more open and honest exploration of personal and societal issues in literature. Olds' work is celebrated for its accessibility and emotional resonance, making poetry more relatable to a broader audience. As an educator, she has also influenced a new generation of poets, teaching at New York University and leading workshops that encourage writers to find their own voices.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Sharon Olds is widely quoted and remembered for her fearless approach to poetry. Her work resonates with readers because it speaks to the universal human experience, addressing themes of love, pain, and redemption with clarity and compassion. Olds' ability to articulate the complexities of human emotions in a way that is both personal and universal has made her a beloved figure in contemporary literature. Her quotes often capture the essence of her work—intimate, insightful, and profoundly moving—making them a source of inspiration and reflection for many.
In summary, Sharon Olds' contributions to poetry and literature are marked by her courage to explore the depths of human experience with honesty and empathy. Her legacy continues to influence and inspire, ensuring her place as a significant figure in the literary world.
Quotes by Sharon Olds
Sharon Olds's insights on:
Many poets write books. They’ll tell you: Well, I’ve got my next book, but there are two poems I need to write, one about x, one about y. This is a wonder to me.
If I wrote in a sonnet form, I would be distorting. Or if I had some great new idea for line breaks and I used it in a poem, but it’s really not right for that poem, but I wanted it, that would be distorting.
I’m not sure that the benefit – as a writer and as a citizen – that I would get from reading at least the front page of the Times every day or every other day would outweigh the depression.
I didn’t have time to sit down and look at the work of a year and choose what to type.
Every poet I know – although there may be some I don’t know who lead very different lives, who maybe live in the country and don’t teach – tends to be just like the rest of us: just really busy, really overcommitted.
The decision for me was whether to have ‘The Father’ be a book that told a story – from the point of view of this speaker, the daughter – without, as in the earlier books, then having a section on something else and a section on something else.
I can tell you we were right, our bodies were right, life was really going to be that good, that pleasurable in every cell. Suddenly I remember the exact look of your body, but better than that the bright corners of your eyes, or the light of your face, the rich Long Island puppy-fat of your thighs, or the slick chino of your pants bright in the corners of my eyes, I remember your extraordinary act of courage in loving me.