Elizabeth Bartlett (1911-1994) was an American poet and writer noted
for her lyrical and symbolic poetry, creation of the new twelve-tone
form of poetry, founder of the international non-profit organization
Literary Olympics, Inc., and known as an author of fiction, essays,
reviews, translations, and as an editor. She is not to be confused
with the British poet (1924-2008) of the same name. For more detailed
information about her life, work, and critical commendations, see
the Wikipedia article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Bartlett_%28American_poet%29.
Bartlett's most notable achievements include:
* Creation of a new form of poetry, "the twelve-tone poem," adapting
Arnold Schonberg's musical system to the verbal, accented sounds
of language. Called "the Emily Dickinson of the 20th Century," her
concise lyrics have been praised by poets, musicians, and composers
alike.
* Publication of 16 books of poetry, a group of edited anthologies,
and more than 1,000 poems, short stories, and essays published, for
example, in _Harper's_, _Virginia Quarterly_, _New York Times_, _North
American Review_, _Saturday Review_, _Prairie Schooner_, and in
numerous international collections.
* Recipient of many fellowships, grants and awards, including NEA,
PEN Syndicate, fellowships at the Huntington Hartford Foundation,
Montalvo, Yaddo, MacDowell, Dorland Mt. Colony and Ragdale, travel
grants, and honors for introducing literature as part of the Olympics.
* Founder of the Literary Olympics, to restore literature,
specifically poetry, as a vital part of the Olympics as it once
had been in ancient Greece.
Bartlett's poetry came to the attention of leading poets,
writers, and critics as diverse as Marianne Moore, Wallace Stevens,
Mark Van Doren, Conrad Aiken, Allen Tate, Alfred Kreymborg, Robert
Hillyer, Louis Untermeyer, Rolfe Humphries, John Ciardi, Richard
Eberhart, Richard Wilbur, Maxine Kumin, Robert M. Hutchins, Kenneth
Rexroth, William Stafford, and others. Over the years, Bartlett
maintained an active and extensive correspondence with eminent poets,
writers, and literary critics; evident throughout this collected
literary correspondence are strong statements attesting to the
importance of her work.
About her first book of poetry, _Poems of Yes and No_, Marianne Moore
wrote: "I surely find good in the _Poems of Yes and No_.... The
clearness of the book is certainly beautiful." Wallace Stevens
was impressed by _Poems of Yes and No_ and wrote: "Your poems
give one a sense of intelligence and sensibility." Alfred Kreymborg
was enthusiastic about the book: "You have found a style of your own
and developed it. I say yes to your _Poems of Yes and No_. This is a
distinguished volume as a whole. I wish you well with this warm book.
Any poet might envy the courage and artistry of what you say, or
rather sing, there." Further commendation came from Robert Hillyer,
who wrote: "Your poems are moving and unusual.... A distinguished
achievement!"
Her husband, Paul Alexander Bartlett (1909-1990) was an American
writer, artist, and poet. He made a large-scale study of more than
350 Mexican haciendas, published novels, short stories, and poetry,
and worked as a fine artist in a variety of media. For more detailed
information about his life and work, see the Wikipedia article
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Alexander_Bartlett.
Elizabeth Bartlett's son, Steven James Bartlett (1945- ), is a
psychologist and philosopher who has published many books and
articles in the fields of philosophy and psychology. For more
detailed information about his life and work, see the Wikipedia
article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_James_Bartlett.