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Conrad Aiken Historical Marker
- Conrad Aiken Historical Marker
- Located on traffic island in Oglethorpe Ave. across
from Colonial Park Cemetery, Savannah
(Text)
CONRAD AIKEN
Conrad Aiken, Poet and Man of Letters,
was born in Savannah on August 5, 1889, and lived at No. 228
(opposite) until 1901. After the tragic deaths of his parents,
he was moved to New England. Most of his writing career was divided
between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Rye, England. In 1962 he
returned to Savannah to live and write in the adjoining house,
No. 230 until his death August 17, 1973. Of his home here he
wrote: "Born in that most magical of cities, Savannah, I
was allowed to run wild in that earthly paradise until I was
nine; ideal for the boy who early decided he wanted to write."
Though he wrote novels, short stories
and critical essays, his first love was poetry. His work earned
many awards including the Pulitzer Prize (1930),l National Book
Award (1954), and the National medal of literature (1969). He
was a member of the national Academy of Arts and Sciences and
held the Chair of poetry of the Library of Congress (1950 to
1952). Governor Jimmy Carter appointed him Poet Laureate of Georgia
on March 30, 1973. Conrad Aiken is buried beside his parents
in Bonaventure Cemetery.
- GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
- HISTORIC SAVANNAH FOUNDATION
1980
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