Pulitzer Winner Marie Howe:
Celebrated Poet and FAWC Trustee
Honored for Lifetime Achievement

When Marie Howe arrived at the Fine Arts Work Center as a Writing Fellow in 1983, her voice was already unmistakable. The poet describes her work as “…a vessel for expressing the ineffable aspects of human experience.” She believes that poetry uniquely captures the profound mysteries of life, particularly our awareness of mortality.

As she articulated in an interview with NPR’s Fresh Air:

“Poetry holds the knowledge that we are alive and that we know we’re going to die.”

Four decades later, Howe’s voice has been recognized as the 2025 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Poetry, awarded for her New and Selected Poems, a collection that spans her life’s work and reaffirms her place as one of America’s most vital poets.

The book draws from every stage of Howe’s career, but what binds it all together is an acute attentiveness — to grief, to love, to spirit, to the passing moment. Her work has long been praised for its clarity and emotional precision, and for transforming everyday life into moments of revelation.

Marie Howe’s connection to the Work Center is integral: she was a Writing Fellow from 1983–1984, later joined the faculty, and now serves as a Trustee. Through her teaching, mentorship, and artistic integrity, she has shaped generations of poets and left an indelible mark on our community.