Janice Fitzpatrick Simmons
Janice Fitzpatrick Simmons (born 1954) is an American-Irish poet.
After moving to Ireland in 1987, the Boston-born writer co-founded The Poets' House with her husband and fellow poet James Simmons in 1990.
Early life and education[edit]
Janice Fitzpatrick was born in Boston in 1954, and grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and Barrington, Rhode Island.[1][2]
She graduated with a master's degree from the University of New Hampshire in the late 1980s.[3]
Career[edit]
After working at The Frost Place in New Hampshire, she moved to Ireland in 1987 to pursue a doctorate at University College Dublin.[3][4] There, in 1990, she founded alongside her husband James Simmons The Poets' House, first in Islandmagee in County Antrim, and later in Falcarragh in County Donegal.[2][5][3][6]
Her first solo poetry collection, the chapbook Leaving America, was published in 1992, followed by her first full-length collection, Settler, in 1995.[1] She went on to publish five collections in total, including 2005's The Bowsprit.[7] Her most recent collection, Saint Michael in Peril of the Sea, was published in 2009.[6]
Fitzpatrick Simmons' work has appeared in various anthologies including A Rage for Order, The Backyards of Heaven, The Blackbird's Nest, Salmon: A Journey in Poetry 1981-2007, Female Lines, and Irish American Poets since 1800.[3][8]
Personal life[edit]
Fitzpatrick's move to Ireland came after her first marriage ended in divorce.[4] She then was married to fellow poet James Simmons, with whom she has one son, until his death in 2001.[5] They had met when he visited the United States on a literary exchange program.[4] Her later work frequently reflects her experience of her husband's illness and death, as well as her efforts to uphold his legacy.[4][6][7]
Selected works[edit]
- Leaving America (chapbook, 1992)
- Settler (1995)
- Starting at Purgatory (1999)
- The Bowsprit (2005)
- Saint Michael in Peril of the Sea (2009)
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Fitzpatrick-Simmons, Janice 1954-". WorldCat.
- ^ a b "Fitzpatrick-Simmons, Janice, 1954-". Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Saint Michael in Peril of the Sea by Janice Fitzpatrick Simmons". Salmon Poetry. 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d Walker, Gail (4 July 2008). "Interview: Janice Fitzpatrick Simmons". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b Pegnall, Peter (10 July 2001). "Obituary: James Simmons". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b c Murphy, Liam (5 June 2009). "Review: Saint Michael in Peril of the Sea". Munster Express Online. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b Mee, Bob (2006). "The Bowsprit - Janice Fitzpatrick Simmons". Iota. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ Sherratt-Bado, Dawn Miranda (18 October 2017). "A celebration of the rich tradition of Northern Irish women writers". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
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