Jennifer Givhan Explained

Jennifer Givhan (born) is a Mexican-American and Indigenous poet and novelist from the Southwestern United States. She is the author of five full-length poetry collections and three novels. Her novel Trinity Sight won The Southwest Book Award in 2020.[1]

She often writes about her "borderland identity" but broadens her narratives to resonate with anyone who has inhabited a liminal space between two cultures as Givhan grapples with both historical and personal pain from the past and demonstrates a yearning for a sense of belonging. She addresses "hijas wandering in their own deserts" to inspire and empower the women in the borderlands to and for whom she writes.[2]

Early life and education

Givhan was born circa 1984, and grew up on the Mexicali border in the Imperial Valley of Southern California, near the Salton Sea.[3]

She earned a Master of Fine Arts from Warren Wilson College and a Master of Arts in English literature from California State University, Fullerton.[4]

Themes

Much of Givhan's poetry explores mother-daughter relationships, offering an understanding of motherhood that encompasses diverse caregiving roles, including traditional definitions of motherhood, emphasizing empathy and intersectionality. Drawing from her Mexican heritage and family background, she incorporates cultural elements into her work. Givhan's poetry and prose often engage with social issues and highlight marginalized voices.[5]

Awards and honors

Givhan has received multiple fellowships, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry (2015), a Pen/Rosenthal Emerging Voices Fellowship,[6] and the Frost Place Latin@ Fellowship.[7] In 2020, Booklist included Trinity Sight on their list of the year's "Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror Debuts".[8] She has also received the following accolades:

Personal life

Givhan lives with her family in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Selected publications

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Southwest Book Awards . 2024-04-26 . BORDER REGIONAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION . en.
  2. Opliger . Bonnie Rose . 2020 . Wandering Their Own Deserts . American Book Review . 41 . 2 . 13 . 10.1353/abr.2020.0025 . 2153-4578.
  3. Web site: Peterson . Karla . 2022-09-29 . Column: Chula Vista author Jennifer Givhan summons magic and memories with 'River Woman, River Demon' . 2024-04-26 . . en-US.
  4. Web site: Jennifer Givhan . 2024-04-26 . . en.
  5. Web site: 2019-08-29 . Jenn Givhan . 2024-05-03 . New England Review . en-US.
  6. Web site: Meet the Creative Writing Fellows . 2024-07-26 . . en.
  7. Web site: Beete . Paulette . 2016-05-12 . Art Talk with NEA Literature Fellow Jennifer Givhan . 2024-04-26 . . en.
  8. Web site: Maguire . Susan . August 2020 . Top 10 SF/Fantasy & Horror Debuts: 2020 . 2024-08-02 . Booklist.
  9. Web site: 2023 Winners . 2024-07-26 . Western Writers Of America . en-US.
  10. Web site: 2017-01-16 . Protection Spell by Jennifer Givhan . 2024-08-02 . Publishers Weekly.
  11. Web site: 2019-07-14 . Trinity Sight . 2024-08-02 . Kirkus Reviews.
  12. Web site: Pearson . Lynnanne . August 2019 . Trinity Sight . 2024-08-02 . Booklist.
  13. Web site: 2020-09-01 . Jubilee . 2024-08-02 . Booklist.
  14. Web site: 2020-08-14 . Jubilee by Jennifer Givhan . 2024-08-02 . Publishers Weekly.
  15. Web site: Hoffart . Barbara . 2022-09-23 . Belly to the Brutal . 2024-08-02 . Library Journal.
  16. Web site: 2022-09-20 . River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan . 2024-08-02 . Publishers Weekly.
  17. Web site: July 7, 2022 . River Women, River Demon . 2024-08-02 . Kirkus Reviews.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jennifer Givhan".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.