Lyn Lifshin


Lyn Diane Lifshin was an American poet and teacher.

Life

Born in Barre, Vermont, she was raised in Middlebury, Vermont. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from Syracuse University and a master's degree in English from the University of Vermont. She also studied at Brandeis University, the Bread Loaf School of English and attended the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.
Lifshin moved to Schenectady, New York in the 1970s with her then husband, who worked for General Electric. She enrolled in a doctoral program in English at SUNY Albany, and began submitting her work for publication. She quickly began appearing in a variety of literary magazines. When she left SUNY, she began teaching creative writing workshops at various public venues such as libraries, as well as at her home in Niskayuna, New York. Eventually, she began earning a living primarily from workshops, readings, and visiting faculty positions.
Lifshin has been called "The Queen of the Lit Mags" and "The Queen of Modern Romance Poetry". Over 120 books and chapbooks of her work have been published. She has also edited four anthologies and was the subject of the award-winning documentary film Not Made of Glass. Her work has appeared in numerous literary magazines and cultural publications, including The American Scholar, Christian Science Monitor, Ploughshares, nthWORD, Blue Lake Review, Dunes Review, and Rolling Stone Magazine.
She divided her time between a home in Niskayuna and a residence in Virginia.

Books and chapbooks (partial list)