Jean Burden
Jean Burden (1914-2009) was a multifaceted American poet, essayist, educator, and animal welfare advocate, whose literary career spanned several decades. Although she spent most of her life in Altadena, California, she became an influential figure in New England literary circles as the poetry editor for Yankee Magazine, a position she held starting in 1955. Burden's poetry is characterized by its lyrical and elegiac quality, earning praise from notable poets like Mark Strand. Her notable works include "Naked as the Glass" (1963) and "Journey Toward Poetry" (1967), along with the well-known poem "The Gift," featured in her 1992 collection "Taking Light from Each Other." In addition to her poetry, Burden authored several books on animal welfare, particularly focusing on cats, and her insights have resonated widely. Her legacy is honored through the Jean Burden Annual Poetry Series at California State University - Los Angeles, which celebrates her contributions to poetry and education. Additionally, her papers, which include significant correspondence and manuscripts, are preserved at Syracuse University, reflecting her impact on American literature and poetry.
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Jean Burden
Writer
- Born: September 1, 1914
- Birthplace: Waukegan, Illinois
- Died: April 21, 2008
- Place of death: Altadena, California
Biography
Born in 1914, Jean Burden had a writing career that was as varied as her life. She is equally known as a poet, as a writer of several books on animal welfare, as a teacher and essayist, and as the poetry editor for Yankee Magazine for the past several decades. Although the magazine, whose offices are in New Hampshire, concerns itself only with New England-related topics, Burden has lived almost all of her life in Altadena, in Southern California.
By 1954, Burden was a published poet and had worked as an editor. After sending an article to Robb Sagendorph, founder and publisher of Yankee Magazine, she began corresponding with Sagendorph in a series of letters. He offered her the position of poetry editor for the magazine in 1955; accepting the offer, Burden took advantage of her extended group of poet friends to begin publishing high-quality poetic work in the journal. Although her editorial choices, as well as her California residence (as editor of a New England magazine), quickly aroused controversy, the magazine’s subscription list also quickly grew.
Burden’s first collection of poetry, Naked as the Glass (1963), was well received by critics and fellow poets, as was her book of essays Journey Toward Poetry (1967). Her work has been described as “lyrical [and] often elegiac”; the poet Mark Strand has described Burden’s poetry as “beautifully controlled, perfectly stated, musically and rhetorically just right.” The collection Taking Light from Each Other (1992) includes what is probably her best known poem, “The Gift.” The poem, written in 1976, relates a gift-giving incident that occurred during Burden’s stay at the MacDowell Colony, an artists’ residence in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Burden is the author of many books on animal welfare, and her witticisms and poems regarding animals, especially cats, are often quoted. In 1986, the Jean Burden Annual Poetry Series was established at California State University-Los Angeles to honor Burden’s influence as a poet, essayist, editor, and teacher, as well as to credit her ongoing support of poetry in Southern California. Burden’s papers, including correspondence with several noted writers, manuscripts, published material, photographs and other memorabilia, and memoirs, are collected at Syracuse University.