Michelle Brown
Oct 14, 2023 - 10:05

US poet Louise Gluck, Nobel prize for literature winner, dies at 80

Celebrated Nobel-winning poet Louise Gluck has died at the age of 80. She was known for her critically acclaimed poetry and essays. Gluck was the first American poet to win the Nobel Prize in Literature since TS Eliot in 1948.

Renowned poet Louise Gluck, who was honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2020, has passed away at the age of 80. Her editor, Jonathan Galassi, confirmed her death on Friday. Gluck, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, succumbed to cancer at her residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts, according to her publisher.

Over the course of her illustrious 60-year career, Gluck established herself as one of the most highly regarded poets and essayists in contemporary America. Her exploration of family and childhood in her work was marked by a remarkable candor that resonated with readers and critics alike.

The Swedish Academy, responsible for selecting the Nobel laureate in literature, described Gluck's poetry as having an "unmistakable voice" and "austere beauty" when awarding her the prestigious prize. This recognition made her the first American poet since TS Eliot in 1948 to receive this honor.

In addition to the Nobel Prize, Gluck was also honored with the Pulitzer Prize for her poetry collection "The Wild Iris" in 1993. She served as the Poet Laureate of the United States from 2003 to 2004. Poet Tracy K Smith, herself a Pulitzer Prize-winner, expressed in a statement that Gluck's poetry had been a source of solace and inspiration, having "saved" her on numerous occasions.

President Barack Obama awarded Gluck the National Humanities Medal in 2015, acknowledging her decades-long contribution to powerful lyric poetry that defied categorization. Throughout her career, Gluck published over a dozen books of poetry, as well as several volumes of essays and the poignant prose fable, "Marigold And Rose." She also shared her expertise as a teacher at prestigious institutions such as Stanford and Yale.

Gluck's personal life included two marriages and divorces, and she had a son named Noah. Her impact on the literary world, however, extended far beyond her personal experiences, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of readers worldwide.