Meena Alexander
Poet

American Allahabad, India

Quick Info

Profession	Poet
Nationality	American
Date of Birth	17/02/1951
Age	67 years (died on 21, Nov, 2018)
Birthplace	Allahabad, India
Date of Death	21/11/2018

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Bio/Wiki

Birth name	Mary Elizabeth Alexander

Physical Stats & More

Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Black

Educational Qualification(s)

College/University	Khartoum University
Educational Qualification	Bachelor's degree in English and French

Personal Life

Place of Death	New York City, USA
Death Cause	Stomach Cancer
Religion	Christianity
Marital Status (at the time of death)	Married

Family

Husband

David Lelyveld (Historian)

Children

Son	Adam Lelyveld
Daughter	Svati Lelyveld

Parents

Father	George Alexander (meteorologist in the Indian government)
Mother	Mary Alexander (homemaker)

Siblings

Sister	Elizabeth Alexander

Career

Debut

The Bird’s Bright Ring (1976) (long poem)

Awards

In 2002, her book Illiterate Heart won the PEN Open Book Award.
In 2009, she was honoured with Distinguished Achievement Award by the South Asian Literary Association.
In 2016, the Word Masala Foundation Honoured her with the Word Masala Award.
In 1993, her memoir Fault Lines was chosen as one of the Best Books of 1993 by Publishers Weekly.
In 2002, she was awarded the Imbongi Yesizwe Poetry International Award.

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Meena Alexander (1951-2018) was an Indian American Scholar and Poet.
2. She was a significant voice in contemporary poetry and postcolonial literature.
3. Born in 1951 in Allahabad, India, Meena Alexander belonged to a Syrian Christian family from Kerala.
4. Her maternal grandfather, K. K. Kuruvilla, played a crucial role in her family history and India's narrative.
5. At the age of five, Meena celebrated her birthday on a ship from India to Sudan, where her father was stationed.
6. Completing high school by the age of 13 showcased Meena's exceptional academic ability.
7. Beginning her college education at Khartoum University at 13, Meena was determined and focused.
8. At 15, Meena made a significant life choice by changing her name from Mary Elizabeth to Meena.
9. In 1969, at the age of 18, Meena graduated with a degree, setting the stage for her future accomplishments.
10. Her literary works reflected the political climate in India, drawing comparisons from fellow scholars in the country.
11. Meena Alexander was a prolific writer, known for her poetry collections, essays, novels, and memoirs.
12. Her poems found a home in prestigious publications like The New Yorker, Harvard Review, and Kenyon Review.
13. Returning to India in 1974, Meena joined Miranda House, University of Delhi, to pursue her academic career.
14. Meena started teaching English at the University of Hyderabad's Central Institute of English in 1975.
15. Her career reached new heights in 1999 when she became the Distinguished Professor of English at Hunter College.

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