author
Conrad Aiken
1889–1973
A major American poet, novelist, and critic of the modern era, he wrote with unusual psychological depth and a musical ear for language. His work earned both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and he later served as United States Poet Laureate.
1 Audiobook
The House of Dust: A Symphony
by Conrad Aiken
About the author
Born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1889, Conrad Aiken became one of the notable American literary voices of the twentieth century. He wrote poetry, short stories, novels, criticism, and autobiography, building a reputation for work that explored memory, identity, and the inner life.
Aiken studied at Harvard, where he moved in a circle of important future writers and thinkers. His writing was shaped in part by a deeply traumatic childhood, and readers and critics have often noted the psychological intensity of his poems and prose.
Over the course of his career, he received some of the country's highest literary honors, including the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. He also served as United States Poet Laureate from 1950 to 1952, confirming his place as a central figure in American letters.