Poet James Wright Biography 2024 - Pulitzer Prize Winner For Collected Poems

The 1920s marked a turning point in the evolution of poetry towards modernism. During this time, many great poets emerged who took a more unorthodox approach to depict real-life circumstances in contemporary poems.

Among many, a poet whose name is often heard is James Wright. James was widely regarded as one of America's finest modern poets, having won the Pulitzer Prize for his collection of poems, Collected Poems, published in 1972.

James Wright's poems are still well-liked by the public. So, in this biography, let us get to know the talented poet a little bit better.

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Early Life, Family, And Education

James Wright was born as James Arlington Wright to parents Dudley Wright and Jessie Lyons Wright on December 12, 1927. The poet spent his childhood in Martins Ferry, Ohio, alongside his siblings, Ted Wright and Jack Wright. Apart from his two brothers, James also had an adopted sister named Marge Wright.

James Wright's father and mother were both school dropouts, as neither of them had the resources to continue their schooling. Consequently, his father worked in the glass industry at Hazel-Atlas Glass and his mother at the White Swan Laundry, both low-wage jobs. As a result, James Wright and his family spent the majority of their lives in poverty.

As a child, James Wright enjoyed writing poems and penned his first one at the age of eleven. Image Source: James Wright Poet Facebook.

Even though James Wright's parents themselves did not receive more than an eighth-grade education, they were determined to provide an excellent education to all of their children. Wright, unfortunately, had a nervous breakdown in high school in 1943 and missed a year of school. Nonetheless, he did graduate in 1946.

Wright enrolled in the US Army after graduating from high school and served in Japan. Following his release from the army, he used the GI Bill to pursue his further education from Kenyon College, where he studied with John Crowe Ransom and published poems in the Kenyon Review. 

In 1952, he received the Phi Beta Kappa honorary degree. Wright then completed his master's degree in MA at the University of Washington in 1957, where he studied with Theodore Roethke and Stanley Kunitz. He also obtained Ph.D. from the same university.

James Wright Net Worth And Career

Despite growing up in poverty, Wright was able to construct a luxurious lifestyle for himself swiftly. The artist began writing sonnets and short poems before completing his secondary education. However, before becoming a poet, James used to work as a teacher. Nevertheless, James Wright's net worth must have been substantial at the time of his death.

James began his artistic career while teaching at the University of Minnesota when his book The Green Wall, a collection of formalist verse, was published in the Yale Younger Poets Series in 1956. Later that year, Wright was awarded the prestigious Yale Younger Poets Prize.

Following this, Wright published his sonnet Saint Judas in 1959. People appreciated the poem, and it won the Ohioana Book Award soon after. By this time, the poet had already begun collaborating with Robert Bly and John Knoepfle to translate and publish the works of German and South American writers.

James Wright's net worth was primarily derived from his long and successful career as a poet. Image Source: James Wright Poet Facebook.

James Wright's fame soared from then on, and he proceeded to publish poetry in prestigious publications like the New Yorker and the New Orleans Poetry Review. His third book, The Branch Will Not Break, a collection of poems, was released by Wesleyan University Press in 1963.

By this time, James' reputation as a poet had already been established. Soon after, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his Collected Poems in 1972. The poet continued to write some of the century's most beloved and widely anthologized classics for the next decade. Consequently, most of James Wright's net worth was derived from his works as a poet.

James published more than a dozen novels and sonnets. Many people currently profit from newer copies of books available on Amazon, but older editions must cost hundreds of dollars, surely boosting James Wright's fortune. Some of the newer edition books, along with their price and year of publication, are given below:

In addition, the poet won several awards for his work during his time, including the Pulitzer Prize. At present, the prize winner gets a grand prize of $15,000 along with a certificate. Thus, the poet must have amassed a huge fortune at the time.

Unfortunately, Wright died of tongue cancer at 51 in Calvary Hospital in the Bronx, just as he was reaching the pinnacle of his career. There is no question that James Wright's net worth would have increased tremendously if it were not for his death.

Married And A Father of Two

While studying at Marin Ferry High School, James Wright met his first wife Liberty Kardules. The pair got married in 1953 and subsequently spent a year in Vienna. However, their marriage was short-lived, and the pair got divorced in 1962.

James Wright was married twice and became the father of two children through his first marriage. Image Source: James Wright Poet Facebook.

During their togetherness, the couple welcomed two sons, Franz Wright and Marshall Wright. James Wright's son Franz was a poet who also won the Pulitzer Prize in the same category as him. Unfortunately, he, too, died of cancer on May 14, 2015.

Wright later married sculptor Edith Anne Crunk in 1967 when he was 40 years old. Many of James Wright's wife, Edith, inspired his poems, and she appeared as the artist in many of them. Unfortunately, the couple did not produce any children together.

James Wright is considered one of the best poets the literary world has seen. His words continue to inspire young writers and there is no doubt that they will carry his legacy for years to come.

Trivia And Facts

• The idea of loneliness and alienation ran through James Wright's writings.
• He had been a longtime smoker and had struggled with drinking throughout his life.
• James Wright was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for the Creative Arts in the United States and Canada in 1965.