Midwest: Region Three
Zwart, Jane
1977—
Place of Birth: Grand Rapids, MI
Place of Principal Residence: Grand Rapids, MI
Biography
Jane Zwart describes her childhood as “simple and nerdy”. Once, she asked if her mother would please stop reading her bed time stories: young Zwart could read them much faster to herself in her head. She wrote her first poem in 2nd grade. In high school, Zwart didn’t fit into a single friend group but enjoyed an eclectic sampling from many. She played the role of Helen Keller in her school’s production of the Miracle Worker. Zwart earned her BA in English at Calvin College, Her MA at the University of Boston, and is in the process of earning her Ph.D. She wrote her first poem in 2nd grade and also a story about young orphaned girls reuniting. In college Zwart became more serious about her writing the college’s literary journal.
Currently, Zwart publishes poems in various literary journals. She lives in Grand Rapids, MI with her husband and is and English professor at Calvin College.
Selected Works
- “the fencing match” and voila, eureka.” North West Review, Oregon, January 2001
- “The Shape of the Wind in Silk.” North American Review, Iowa, November-December 2005
- “Volcano Tile, Davis Square.” Threepenny Review, California, Fall 2005
- “twelve Knives for the New Year,” “A Load of Fence Posts.” Christian Century, Illinois, forthcoming
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work
Place plays both small and large roles in the work of Jane Zwart. For instance, in her poem The Burley Park Flea Market, Zwart carefully examines the small local oddities on sale at the flea market. These detailed descriptions give you a sense of that specific place is like while also evoking something one might call a “Midwest Sensibility”.