Susan Hahn is a bestselling
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
poet, playwright and novelist. She is also a
Guggenheim fellow
Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
.
Biography
She was born Susan Firestone in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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on November 11, 1951, and attended Highland Park High School. She attended
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Chart ...
where she received a B.A. and an M.A. in
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
She began working at the Woodlawn Mental Health Center after graduation and became licensed as a group therapist.
After incorporating writing and art into her therapy, she began to write her own work and submitted some of her poems to ''
Poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings ...
'' magazine, where they were accepted.
In 1997 she started editing
TriQuarterly
''TriQuarterly'' is a name shared by an American literary magazine and a series of books, both operating under the aegis of Northwestern University Press. The journal is published twice a year and features fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, liter ...
literary magazine.
She remained with TriQuarterly until 2010, when the magazine went to an online-only format. She is also a co-editor of works published by Northwestern University.
Hahn was the Ernest Hemingway Foundation's first writer-in-residence in 2013.
Work
Hahn's writing has been described by Donna Seaman as displaying "bewitching" language and "sly" humor. As the featured Illinois poet, her work was described by the State of Illinois as "voyages into the uncharted seas of self and other."
Her novel, T''he Six Granddaughters of Cecil Slaughter'', was favorably reviewed by
Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
and
Library Journal.
In 1994, Hahn received a Society of Midland Authors Award for Poetry.
The ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...
'' listed ''Holiday'' and ''Mother in Summer'' in the ranks of the Best Books of 2002.
Novel
*''Losing Beck: A Triptych'' (2018)
*''The Six Granddaughters of Cecil Slaughter'' (2012)
Poetry
*''The Note She Left'' (2008)
*''The Scarlet Ibis'' (2007)
*''Self/Pity (2005)
*''Mother in Summer'' (2002)
*''Holiday'' (2001)
*''Confession'' (1997)
*''Melancholia, Etcetera'' (1995)
*''Incontinence'' (1993)
*''Harriet Rubin's Mother's Wooden Hand'' (1991)
Plays
*''The Scarlet Ibis'' (2007, reprised 2008)
*''Golf'' (2005)
Awards and honors
Susan Hahn's honors and awards include:
*Hemingway Foundation, inaugural Writer-in-Residence (2013-2014)
*Pushcart Prizes, in fiction and poetry
*First Class of Distinguished Alumni, Highland Park High School (2005)
*Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in Poetry (2003-2004)
*Poetry Magazine's George Kent Prize (2000)
*The Society of Midland Authors Award for Poetry (1994)
*Illinois Arts Council Literary Awards and Fellowships
References
External links
Susan Hahn's WebsiteSusan Hahn on IndieBound.orgSusan Hahnat the Academy of American Poets
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Living people
Writers from Chicago
American women poets
Northwestern University alumni
1941 births
American women novelists
American women dramatists and playwrights
20th-century American poets
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American poets
21st-century American novelists
21st-century American dramatists and playwrights
21st-century American women writers
Novelists from Illinois