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Robert DuncanAmerican poet
Date of Birth: 07.01.1919
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Early Life and Influences
- Education and Early Career
- Military Service and Marriage
- Literary Success
- Later Career
- Legacy
- Awards and Honors
Early Life and Influences
Robert Duncan was born on January 7, 1919, in Oakland, California. Orphaned as a baby, he was adopted by a Theosophist couple who consulted horoscopes and astrological charts before choosing him. Duncan grew up in an atmosphere of seances and meetings of the "Hermetic Brotherhood," surrounded by a library of occult literature.
Education and Early Career
In 1936, Duncan enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where he became involved with the left-wing movement and began writing socially conscious poetry. He left Berkeley in 1938 for Black Mountain College, but after an argument with the rector about the Spanish Civil War, he departed from there as well. Recognizing his homosexuality, Duncan moved to Philadelphia with his lover and later to a small commune in Woodstock, New York, where he met literary figures such as Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin.
Military Service and Marriage
Duncan was drafted into the army in 1941 but was soon discharged due to his homosexuality. In 1943, he attempted to leave the homosexual scene by marrying Marjorie Macky, but the marriage failed within months. During this time, Duncan began corresponding with California poet Kenneth Rexroth, who introduced him to the leaders of the San Francisco Renaissance.
Literary Success
Duncan's first book, "Heavenly City, Earthly City," was published in 1948. In 1951, he met and fell in love with the artist Jess Collins, who became his lifelong partner. Soon after, Duncan became a central figure in both the San Francisco and Black Mountain poetry groups. His poetic reputation was solidified with the publication of three collections in the 1960s: "The Opening of the Field" (1960), "Roots and Branches" (1964), and "Bending the Bow" (1968).
Later Career
After "Bending the Bow" was published in 1968, Duncan decided not to publish another book for fifteen years. His next collection, "Ground Work: Before the War," appeared in 1984. Duncan died in San Francisco on February 8, 1988, after a long illness.
Legacy
Duncan's contributions extended beyond poetry to various aspects of American popular culture from the 1930s onward. He is remembered as a significant figure in the Stonewall Riots, the bohemian socialist communes of the 1930s and 1940s, and the cultural and political upheavals of the 1960s.
Awards and Honors
Guggenheim Fellowship (1963)Levinson Prize from Poetry magazine (1964)
