Edmund Leroy "Mike" Keeley (February 5, 1928 – February 23, 2022) was an American novelist, translator, and essayist, a poet, and Charles Barnwell Straut Professor of English at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

. He was a noted expert on the Greek poets C. P. Cavafy,

George Seferis Giorgos or George Seferis (; ), the pen name of Georgios Seferiadis (Γεώργιος Σεφεριάδης; March 13 – September 20, 1971), was a Greek poet and diplomat. He was one of the most important Greek poets of the 20th century, and ...

Odysseus Elytis Odysseas Elytis (; , pen name of Odysseas Alepoudelis, ; 2 November 1911 – 18 March 1996) was a Greek poet, man of letters, essayist and translator, regarded as the definitive exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. He is one ...

, and

Yannis Ritsos Yiannis Ritsos ( ; 1 May 1909 – 11 November 1990) was a Greek poet and communist and an active member of the Greek Resistance during World War II. While he disliked being regarded as a political poet, he has been called "the great poet of th ...

, and on post-Second World War Greek history.

Life and career

Keeley was born in

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, on February 5, 1928, the son of the American diplomat James Hugh Keeley, Jr. and Mathilde (Vossler) Keeley, a homemaker. His brother was the diplomat Robert V. Keeley. He spent his childhood in Canada,

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, and Washington, D.C., before earning his BA from

in 1949. In 1952 he received a doctorate in Comparative Literature from

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

where he studied with a fellowship from the

Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation The Institute for Citizens & Scholars (formerly known as the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation) is a nonpartisan, non-profit institution based in Princeton, New Jersey that says it aims to strengthen American democracy by "cultivating ...

. Keeley served twice as president of the Modern Greek Studies Association from 1970 to 1973 and 1980 to 1982, and as president of

PEN American Center PEN America (formerly PEN American Center), founded in 1922, and headquartered in New York City, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose goal is to raise awareness for the protection of free expression in the United States and worldwide thr ...

from 1992 to 1994. He retired from a long career of teaching English, creative writing, and Hellenic studies at Princeton University in 1994. His fiction and non-fiction are often set in Greece, where he spent part of each year, but also in Europe and the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

, where he has frequently traveled, and in Thailand and Washington, D.C.. He lived with his wife Mary Stathato-Kyris (married in 1951) in

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, New Jersey, from 1954 until her death in 2012. Keeley died from complications of a blood clot at his home in

Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...

on February 23, 2022, at the age of 94.

Awards

*1959

Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Recipients must be American citizens. Prizes have been aw ...

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...

*1959

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

* New Jersey Authors Award: **1960 For the novel ''The Libation'' (Citation) **1968 For ''George Seferis: Collected Poems, 1924-1955'' **1970 For the novel ''The Impostor'' *1962 Guinness Poetry Award selection *1972 Guggenheim Fellowship *1973

National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...

in Translation (finalist) *1975 P.E.N.-Columbia University Translation Center Prize *1980 Harold Morton Landon Translation Award, Academy of American Poets *1982 Howard T. Behrman Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities *1983 PEN/National Endowment for the Arts Fiction Syndicate Award *1984-85 Pushcart Prize Selection *1987 First European Prize for Translation of Poetry *1992 National Translation Award (Citation) *1994 Honorary Doctorate,

University of Athens The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; , ''Ethnikó kai Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the University of Athens (UoA), is a public university in Athens, Greece, with various campuses alo ...

*1999 Academy Award in Literature *2000

PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation The PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation, named in honor of U.S. translator Ralph Manheim, is a literary award given every three years by PEN America (the U.S. chapter of International PEN) to a translator "whose career has demonstrated a commit ...

*2000 Criticos Prize, London Hellenic Society *2001 Commander of the Order of the Phoenix *2003 The Yale Review Prize *2003 Trustees' Annual Award,

Gennadius Library The Gennadius Library (), also known as the Gennadeion, is one of the most important libraries in Greece, with over 110,000 volumes on Greek history, literature and art from Antiquity until modern times. The library is located at Souidias Street ...

*2004 Phidippides Award *2006 Honorary Doctorate,

Richard Stockton College Stockton University is a public university in Galloway Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. It is named for Richard Stockton (Continental Congressman), Richard Stockton, one of the New Jersey signe ...

*2008

Dido Sotiriou Dido Sotiriou (née Pappa; alternative spellings: ''Dido Sotiriu'', ''Dido Sotiriyu''; Greek: Διδώ Σωτηρίου; 18 February 1909 – 23 September 2004)Born on 18 February 1911 according to other sources (Kalimerhaba, p. 808) was a Greek n ...

Cultural Prize, Hellenic Authors' Society *2008 Lord Byron Award,

Hellenic College Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HCHC) is a private Orthodox Christian liberal arts college and seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts. Its mission is to educate individuals for life and service in the Orthodox Ch ...

*2010 Honorary Doctorate,

University of Cyprus The University of Cyprus (Greek language, Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου, Turkish language, Turkish: Kıbrıs Üniversitesi) is a public university, public research institute, research university established in Cyprus in 1989. It ...

*2014

PEN Award for Poetry in Translation The PEN Award for Poetry in Translation is given by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) to honor a poetry translation published in the preceding year. The award should not be confused with the PEN Translation Prize. The award is one of many ...

, for co-translator of ''Diaries of Exile'' by Yannis Ritsos

Books

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ''The Megabuilders of Queenston Park''. Wild River Books. 2014. * ''Requiem for Mary''. Greenhouse Review Press. 2015. *''The Problem of Time and Other Poems.'' Greenhouse Review Press. 2018.

Editor and translator

* ''Six Poets of Modern Greece'' (With

Philip Sherrard Philip Owen Arnould Sherrard (23 September 1922 – 30 May 1995) was a British author and translator. His work includes translations of Modern Greek poets, and books on Modern Greek literature and culture, metaphysics, theology, art and aesthe ...

) Alfred A. Knopf, 1961 * ''Vassilis Vassilikos, 'The Plant,' 'The Well,' 'The Angel': A Trilogy'' (With Mary Keeley) Knopf, 1964. * ''Four Greek Poets'' (With

) Penguin Books, 1965 * ''George Seferis, Collected Poems: 1924-1955'' (With Philip Sherrard) Princeton University Press, 1967 - * ''C. P. Cavafy, Passions and Ancient Days'' (with George Savidis) Hogarth Press, 1972 * ''Modern Greek Writers:

Solomos Dionysios Solomos (; ; 8 April 1798 – 9 February 1857) was a Greek poet from Zakynthos, who is considered to be Greece's national poet. He is best known for writing the ''Hymn to Liberty'' (, ''Ýmnos eis tīn Eleutherían''), which was se ...

Calvos Calvos e Frades is a ''freguesia'' ("civil parish") in the municipality of Póvoa de Lanhoso, northern Portugal. It was formed in 2013 by the merger of the former parishes of Calvos and Frades. The population in 2011 was 753,

, Matesis, Palamas,

Cavafy Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis ( ; 29 April ( OS 17 April), 1863 – 29 April 1933), known, especially in English, as Constantine P. Cavafy and often published as C. P. Cavafy (), was a Greek poet, journalist, and civil servant from Alexandria. A ...

, Kazantzakis, Seferis,

Elytis Odysseas Elytis (; , pen name of Odysseas Alepoudelis, ; 2 November 1911 – 18 March 1996) was a Greek poet, man of letters, essayist and translator, regarded as the definitive exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. He is one ...

'' (With

Peter Bien Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

) Princeton University Press, 1972 * ''C. P. Cavafy, Selected Poems'' (With Philip Sherrard) Princeton University Press, 1972 * ''Odysseus Elytis, The Axion Esti'' (with George Savidis) Pittsburgh University Press, 1972 * ''C. P. Cavafy, Three Poems of Passion'' (with George Savidis) Plain Wrapper Press, 1975 * ''C. P. Cavafy, Collected Poems'' (With Philip Sherrard and George Savidis) Princeton University Press, 1975, revised edition, Princeton University Press, 1992. - * ''Angelos Sikelianos, Selected Poems'' (With Philip Sherrard) Princeton University Press, 1979 * ''Odysseus Elytis, Selected Poems'' Viking-Penguin, 1981 - * ''The Dark Crystal: An Anthology of Modern Greek Poetry'' (With Philip Sherrard) Denise Harvey & CO, 1981 * ''Voices of Modern Greece: Selected Poems of C.P. Cavafy, Angelos Sikelianos, George Seferis, Odysseus Elytis, Nikos Gatsos'' (With Philip Sherrard) Princeton University Press, 1981 - * ''Yannis Ritsos, Return and Other Poems'' Parallel Editions, 1983 * ''C. P. Cavafy, A Selection of Poems'' (with Philip Sherrard) Camberwell Press, 1985 * ''Yannis Ritsos, Exile and Return: Selected Poems, 1967-74'' Ecco Press, 1985 * ''The Legacy of R.P. Blackmur: Essays, Memoirs, Texts'' (with Edward T. Cone and Joseph Frank) Ecco Press, 1987 * ''Yannis Ritsos: Repetitions, Testimonies, Parentheses'' Princeton University Press, 1991 * ''The Essential Cavafy'' (With Philip Sherrard) Ecco Press, 1995 - * ''George Seferis, Collected Poems'', (With Philip Sherrard) Princeton University Press, 1995 * ''George Seferis and Edmund Keeley: Correspondence, 1951-1971'' Princeton University Library, 1997 * ''A Century of Greek Poetry 1900-2000: Bilingual Edition'' (with

Peter Constantine Peter Constantine (born 1963) is a British-born American literary translator who has translated literary works from German, Russian, French, Modern Greek, Ancient Greek, Italian, Albanian, Dutch, and Slovene. Biography Constantine was born in L ...

, and

Karen Van Dyck Karen Van Dyck (born January 25, 1961) is an American literary critic and Translation, translator. She is currently the Kimon A. Doukas Professor of Modern Greek, Modern Greek Language and Modern Greek literature, Literature in the Classics Depar ...

) Cosmos Publishing, 2004 - * ''Selected Poems Of Odysseus Elytis'' (with Philip Sherrard) Anvil Press, 2007 * ''The Greek Poets: Homer to the Present'' (co-editor) W. W. Norton, 2009 * ″Angelos Sikelianos: Selected Poems″,(with Philip Sherrard), second bilingual edition, Denise Harvey (publisher), 1996,

References

External links

Edmund Keeley Papers
* Audio
Edmund Keeley reads C. P. Cavafy's poem ''Ithaka''
* Audio
Edmund Keeley reads a poem by Semonides of Amorgos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keeley, Edmund 1928 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American novelists Alumni of the University of Oxford American translators Commanders of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) Corresponding Members of the Academy of Athens (modern) Deaths from thrombosis Greek–English translators Novelists from New Jersey Writers from Damascus Princeton University alumni Princeton University faculty