Dede Wilson (born Marilyn Marie Coco) is an American poet and writer. She has published short stories, essays, seven books of poetry, and a family memoir. Her fourth book of poetry, ''Eliza: The New Orleans Years'' has also been produced as a one-woman show.
Wilson has published stories and poems in many literary journals including ''
Beloit Poetry Journal
The ''Beloit Poetry Journal'' is an American poetry magazine established in 1950 at Beloit College.[Poet Lore
''Poet Lore'' is an English-language literary magazine based in Bethesda, Maryland.
Established in 1889 by Charlotte Porter and Helen Archibald Clarke, two progressive young Shakespeare scholars who believed in the evolutionary nature of lite ...]
'', ''
Tar River Poetry
''Tar River Poetry'' is a literary journal published by East Carolina University (ECU). Published twice a year (fall and spring), the 64-page journal consists of submitted written works of poetry, critical essays, and book reviews. The journa ...
'', ''
The South Carolina Review
''The South Carolina Review'' is a literary journal published by Clemson University. It was founded in 1968 as Furman Studies, edited by Professor Al Reid at Furman University and moved to Clemson in 1973, where it was initially co-edited by Ric ...
'', ''
New Orleans Review
''New Orleans Review'', founded in 1968, is a journal of contemporary literature and culture that publishes "poetry, fiction, nonfiction, art, photography, film and book reviews" by established and emerging writers and artists. ''New Orleans Revi ...
'', ''
Painted Bride Quarterly'', ''The Asheville Poetry Review'', ''
Spoon River Poetry Review'', ''The Carolina Quarterly'', ''Southern Poetry Review'', ''Cave Wall'', ''Nimrod'', and ''The Cream City Review''.
[Poets & Writers 2012: Dede Wilson Publications and Prizes, June 9, 2011]
/ref>
Her first book ''Glass'' was a finalist in the Persephone Press Competition.[North Carolina Arts Council 2009: Two Poems by Dede Wilson, September 5, 2011]
/ref> She was a winner in the Blumenthal Readers' and Writers' Competition and has taught poetry workshops for the North Carolina Poetry Society and at Queens University of Charlotte
The Queens University of Charlotte is a private university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It has approximately 1,900 undergraduate and graduate students. Established in 1857, the university offers 50 undergraduate majors, 58 minors, ...
.
Biography
Dede Wilson was born and raised in Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat and largest city of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River of the South, Red River ...
. In 1960, she moved to Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, where she was Travel Editor of the now-defunct ''Dallas Times Herald
The ''Dallas Times Herald'', founded in 1888 by a merger of the '' Dallas Times'' and the '' Dallas Herald'', was once one of two major daily newspapers serving the Dallas, Texas ( USA) area. It won three Pulitzer Prizes, all for photography, an ...
''. She did her undergraduate work at Newcomb College
H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College was the coordinate women's college of Tulane University, located in New Orleans, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was founded by Josephine Louise Newcomb in 1886 in memory of her daughter.
Newcomb was the ...
of Tulane University
The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...
from 1955 to 1957 and then transferred to Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
where she graduated in 1959 with a B.S. in journalism.[Barnes & Noble, Eliza: The New Orleans Years, by Dede Wilson]
/ref>
''Under The Music Of Blue''
Released in 2017 the collection of poems was well received. David E. Poster wrote in the ''Wild Goose Poetry Review'' "Ah, that siren, Dede Wilson. Her new collection, ''Under the Music of Blue'', pulls one in with beautifully rendered sound and imagery. Its beauty comes from mastery of craft: command of the vowel register, fluent pacing and repetition, facility with echoes and nuances."
''Eliza: The New Orleans Years''
In 1837 Dede Wilson's great-great grandmother Eliza Moore Christie Parker sailed from England to New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, married the ship's captain during the voyage, saw her husband killed in a duel, and ended up marrying the man who shot him. In 1998 Wilson wrote a memoir, using her mother's research, that includes the story of her remarkable ancestor. But the story continued to haunt her, and in 2010 she based her fourth book of poetry on Eliza's life and called it ''Eliza: The New Orleans Years''.The Charlotte Observer
''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. It is owned by Chatham Asset ...
s reading life editor Pam Kelley to say, "Here's a sentiment you don't often hear: I picked up a new poetry book and couldn't put it down". The story has also been adapted for the stage. It was first performed as a one-woman show in the Flex Theatre at Jackson Academy in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...
in April 2011.[The Weekly Northside Sun: ''Eliza comes to life at JA'', By Katie Eubanks, March 31, 2011]
/ref> The show subsequently opened at the Carolina Actors Studio Theatre
Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (CAST) was an independent non-profit theatre company located at 2424 North Davidson Street in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was founded in 1992 by Charlotte acting instructor Ed Gilweit as an actor's teaching schoo ...
in Charlotte, North Carolina in May 2012.[Charlotte Viewpoint: Eliza: From Page to Stage, by Donald Devet, May 22, 2012]
/ref>
Books
* 2024 ''Longing for the Pleiades: A Life of Wonder Under the Stars''
* 2019 ''Mrs. H. and Her Tooty-Falooty Ways''
* 2017 ''Under the Music of Blue''
* 2013 ''Near Waking''
* 2010 ''Eliza: The New Orleans Years''
* 2004 ''One Nightstand''
/ref>
* 2001 ''Sea of Small Fears''
* 1998 ''Glass''
* 1998 ''Fourth Child, Second Daughter: The memories of Dorothy Whittington Coco and biographical accounts of her ancestors composed of letters, diaries, clippings, and reminiscences'' (editor)
References
External links
North Carolina Arts Council: Excerpts from ''One Nightstand'', by Dede Wilson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Dede
Tulane University alumni
Louisiana State University alumni
1937 births
Living people
American women poets
American women short story writers
20th-century American poets
20th-century American short story writers
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American poets
21st-century American short story writers
21st-century American women writers
Writers from Alexandria, Louisiana
Poets from Louisiana
Writers from Charlotte, North Carolina
Poets from North Carolina