Terrance Hayes and Khaled Mattawa Awarded MacArthur Fellowships

We woke up this morning to the wonderful news that two poets have been named MacArthur Fellows: Terrance Hayes and Khaled Mattawa. We turn to Jacket Copy for some of the details:

This year’s recipients include National Book Award-winning poet Terrance Hayes, poet and translator Khaled Mattawa and two historians, Pamela O. Long and Tara Zahra. There are no novelists or short fiction writers in the 2014 class.

The fellows receive $625,000 over five years, with no strings attached.

The article goes to highlight Hayes's achievements, and the restraint he had to muster to keep the news of his award a secret:

New MacArthur fellows are given the news a few days before the announcement and sworn to secrecy, a challenging task for poet Terrance Hayes, who describes himself as “the one that talks.” Speaking from his home in Pittsburgh, he says, “I’ve avoided my mother, people I’d be inclined to tell.”

He doesn’t foresee making any big changes in his life because of the MacArthur Fellowship; he plans to continue teaching at the University of Pittsburgh, where he is an English professor. He explains, “I value teaching -- it’s one of the places I get inspiration, engagement.”

While he’s being awarded the fellowship, Hayes is quick to turn his gaze outward. His first thought was of Cave Canem, a nonprofit organization he’s involved with that supports African American poets. “It’s the most tangible thing I could think of outside of my own work,” he says.

He’s taking the fellowship in stride. “I work every day,” he says. “Whatever the circumstance, I will be writing.”

You can read a selection of Hayes's poetry here, along with a Q&A from Poetry magazine here.

Also in the news, the Detroit Free Press profiles Khaled Mattawa, a professor at the University of Michigan:

Mattawa, a poet-translator of Arabic poetry, will receive a $625,000, no-strings-attached stipend paid out over the next five years. He said he plans to use the money to further his translations and take on larger projects.

He's being recognized for the work he has done to broaden the public's understanding of Arabic poetry. Mattawa was nominated anonymously for the award.

"It's amazing news," he said. "I was really surprised, delighted and stunned in a good way."

Mattawa, 50, was born in Libya and moved to the U.S. in 1979. He said he developed a love for poetry during his last year at University of Tennessee. He initially planned on being a journalist, but a creative writing class led him to poetry.

"I hesitated a little bit, but I didn't turn back from it," he said. "Poetry, it allowed me the opportunity to explore things, explore ideas and shape memories."

For more, you can hear Mattawa talk about his experience growing up in Libya under Moammar Gadhafi in this video from our News Hour Poetry Series, then read a selection of his poetry and translations here.

Congratulations to Hayes and Mattawa and to all the other fellows this year. To read profiles of everyone in this year's class, head to NPR for more.