Myra Cohn Livingston
Myra Cohn Livingston was an influential American poet, editor, and educator, best known for her contributions to children's literature. Born on August 17, 1926, in Omaha, Nebraska, she began her writing career at a young age, publishing her first poem at eighteen while attending college. After earning her degree from Sarah Lawrence College in 1948, she moved to California, where she worked in public relations and wrote book reviews. In 1958, Livingston transitioned to teaching, initially in the Dallas public school system before joining the University of California, Los Angeles.
Her first poetry collection, "Whispers, and Other Poems," received critical acclaim and set the stage for a prolific writing career that included numerous collections and anthologies. She played a key role in founding The Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People, highlighting her commitment to promoting literature for young audiences. Throughout her life, Livingston received numerous awards for her contributions to poetry and children's literature, including the National Council of Teachers of English award and the Kerlan Award. In recognition of her legacy, the Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award was established to honor outstanding volumes of poetry for children. She passed away from cancer on August 23, 1996, in Los Angeles, leaving behind a rich legacy in the literary world.
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Myra Cohn Livingston
Poet
- Born: August 17, 1926
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska
- Died: August 23, 1996
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Biography
Well known for her editing, her teaching, and especially her collections of poetry for children, Myra Cohn Livingston was born August 17, 1926, in Omaha, Nebraska, the daughter of Mayer Louis and Gertrude (Marks) Cohn. Her first poem was published at the age of eighteen while she was still a college student. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College with a B.A. in 1948, Livingston married Richard Roland Livingston in 1952; the couple eventually had three children. Making her home in Beverly Hills, California, Livingston wrote book reviews for Los Angeles newspapers and did personal public relations work until 1958 for Hollywood personalities such as Dinah Shore and for the classical musician Jascha Heifetz; Livingston herself was trained as a French horn player. In 1958, she began teaching, first in the Dallas public school system and then for the University of California, Los Angeles.
Livingston’s first collection of poetry, Whispers, and Other Poems (1958), won the honor award from the New York Herald Tribune Children’s Spring Book Festival. Subsequent collections of poetry followed rapidly; by 1962, Livingston had published four more volumes and won an award from the Texas Institute of Letters. She began teaching workshops and creative writing classes both for children and college students. In the spring of 1961, Livingston helped found an organization called The Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People, now known as the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California. She won an award from this organization in 1968 for her “comprehensive contribution of lasting value” in the field of children’s literature. From 1966 to 1984, Livingston was poet-in-residence for the Beverly Hills United School District. Beginning in the mid-1970’s, she also served as a poetry consultant for several publishers. Eventually she edited about forty anthologies of verse, as well as publishing scores of her own books.
Livingston won the National Council of Teachers of English award for poetry, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota, and an award for translation from the International Board on Books for Young People. The Myra Cohn Livingston Poetry Award for volumes of poetry for children was established in her honor. She died of cancer on August 23, 1996, in Los Angeles, California.