Curriculum Vita
MARGO TAFT STEVER
Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. 10591-1412
Telephone: 914-332-4469
Fax: 914-524-9366
margostever@verizon.net
margostever.com
EDUCATION
Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York. M.F.A. in Poetry, 1988.
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ed.M. Degree. Reading and Human Development, 1974.
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts A.B. Degree, 1972. Cum Laude.
BOOKS
The Hudson Line, Main Street Rag, Charlotte, North Carolina (2012).
Looking East: William Howard Taft and the 1905 Mission to China, The Photographs of H. F. Woods and F. W. Frost, Zhejiang University Press, Hangzhou, China (In Press).
Imperiled Landscapes, Endangered Legends , Universe Publishing, Division of Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., and the Portland Museum of Portland, Maine, 1997. Edited a collection of photographs of endangered landscapes taken from horseback by Lynn Butler and poems about horses and the environment.
Frozen Spring, Minneapolis, MN: First Series Award for Poetry, Mid-List Press, 2002.
Reading the Night Sky, Riverstone Press, West Chester, PA: Winner of the Riverstone Poetry Chapbook Contest, 1996 (Introduction by Denise Levertov).
Looking East: William Howard Taft and the 1905 Mission to Asia, the Photographs of Harry Fowler Woods, museum catalogue by Margo T. Stever and James T. Stever.
POETRY JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
The CT Review (In Press); Poetry South (2009, 2011); The Same (2008); Big City Lit (2007); Elsewhere (http://elsewherejournal.org/) (2007); Valley Voices, 2006; Rattapallax, 2006; The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, Autumn, 2005; The Connecticut Review, Spring 2005; The Cincinnati Review, Spring, 2004; Lumina, Summer, 2004 and Spring, 2003; Sarah Lawrence, 2002; Vo. 74, 2002; Connecticut Review ,Vol. XXIV, No. 1, 2002; The Preserve Observer: Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve Magazine, Vol. VII, 2001 and Vol. IX, 2002; Poet Lore, Volume 96, Number 1, 2001; West Branch, Vol. 44, 1999; Nightsun, Vol. 18, 1998; West Branch, Vol. 41, 1997; The Seattle Review, Vol. XV, No.1, 1992; The Harvard Advocate 125th Anniversary Edition, Fall, 1971; Potato Eye, No. 6, 1992; Chelsea, Vol. 47, 1988; Ironwood, Vol. 15, No. 2, 1987; The Sarah Lawrence Review, 1987; The Croton Review, No. 9, 1986; Folio, American University, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1986; West Branch, Vol. 12, 1983; The Webster Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 1983;Yet Another Small Magazine Vol. 2, No. 1, 1983; Poetry Now, Vol. VII, No. 1, 1982; Poet Lore, Vol. 77, No.3, 1982; The G.W. Review, Vol. 2, Nos. 4/5 & 2, 1981; The Washington Dossier, 1981; Crop Dust, No. 1, Spring, 1980; Phoebe, Vol. 9, Nos. 1&2, 1979; The New England Review, Vol. II, No. 2, 1979; Hanging Loose, Fall, 1970.
ANTHOLOGIES
Cadence of Hooves: A Celebration of Horses, Yarroway Mountain Press (2008); Riverine: An Anthology of Hudson Valley Writers, Codhill Press, 2007; Dire Elegies, Foothills Press (2006); Chance of a Ghost, Helicon Nine Editions (2005); En(compass): The Poetry Caravan Anthology, Yuganta Press, 2005; The Breath of Parted Lips: Voices from the Robert Frost Place, Volume II, KavanKerry Press, 2004; Imperiled Landscapes, Endangered Legends, Rizzoli International Publications, 1997; The Dolphin’s Arc: Poems on Endangered Creatures of the Sea, (SCOP Publications, 1988; Voices for Peace Anthology, Disarmament and Peace Task Force of the Rochester Peace and Education Center, 1983; No More Masks, Doubleday & Co., 1973.
PUBLISHED REVIEWS, ESSAYS, CRITICISM, AND TRANSLATIONS
Submitted paper and power point presentation on 1905 U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Asia and photographs of Harry Fowler Woods at 2008 Hangzhou International Symposium on Sinology and Sino-Foreign Relations and Exchanges, Hangzhou, China.
Slapering Hol Press Newsletter, “The Chapbook Craze,” Issue 3, October, 2006.
Home Planet News, “Review of Late for Work,” David Tucker, (2006).
New Delta Review , “Review of Persuasions of Fall,” Ann Lauinger," (2005).
The Connecticut Review, “Searching for Tom Moore,” Spring, 2005.
Poets & Writers , “Poetry.com Struggles for Legitimacy,” November/December, 2004.
CALYX, A Journal of Art & Literature by Women , Vol. 22, No. 1, Summer, 2004. “Review of Shards,” Ann Holmes.
Rain Taxi Review , Summer 2004, Review of Bright Turquoise Umbrella, Hermine Meinhard.
New World Poetry (Five poems from Frozen Spring translated into Chinese by Jianqing Zheng), 74, 2002.
The Minnesota Review , Review of Heaven and Heck, Denise Duhamel, and Timepiece, Jane Flanders, 1989.
St. Mary’s College Poetry Festival, Presented paper on the political poem, 1983.
Renditions, The Research Centre for Translation of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Translation of two poems with Jianqing Zheng, No. 59/60 (2003).
TEACHING AND EXPERIENCE
Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, Florida, 2006. Taught adult poetry workshop.
Barnard College, Guest Lecturer, 2000, 2005.
The Coachman Family Center, Created literacy project in homeless shelter. Organized and implemented literacy project and tutor for ten years in after-school program.
Poetry Workshops, The Hackley School and various private and public schools.
Krebs School, Lexington, MA. Classroom teacher for special education students.
ARTISTIC PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2004-Present
Director, exhibition, Looking East: William Howard Taft and the 1905 Mission to Asia, the Photographs of Harry Fowler Woods ( www.ohiohistory.org/tafttrip). Developed exhibition team, selected photographs for exhibition, research and writing text for exhibition, fundraising, writing of museum catalogue, and developing traveling exhibit. Opening in 2007 at William Howard Taft National Historic Site, and traveling exhibitions followed at The Nippon Club Gallery, New York, the Old Forge Arts Center, Old Forge, New York; and 2008 Hangzhou International Symposium on Sinology and Sino-Foreign Relations and Exchanges at Zhejiang University. In 2006 awarded President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
1990-Present
Founder and co-editor, Slapering Hol Press, Sleepy Hollow, New York. Designed and developed Slapering Hol Press, the small press imprint of The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center (www.writerscenter.org). Edit and publish the annual poetry chapbook winner of the Slapering Hol Press Poetry Chapbook Contest, a chapbook of the Sleepy Hollow Poetry Series consisting of a well known poet who chooses and appears in the same chapbook with an emerging poet, and poetry anthologies.
1990-2011
Board Member, The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center. Served on Development, Program, and Benefit Committees.
1988-2001
Chairperson, Board of Directors, founder and member of Board of Directors, The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center, Inc. (HVWC), Sleepy Hollow, New York. [Also, served as executive director from 1989 to 1995 until the first paid, full-time executive director was hired.] General oversight of administration of the organization; principal fundraiser for capital and large operating grants; prepared grant applications and administered major grants; artistic director on several projects. Functions included final approval of the programmatic content of the poetry and fiction reading series and oversight of the thematic choices for writers’ workshops held at the Writers’ Center. While in dual roles as Chairperson and executive director, founded and administered original reading series and workshop series; began outreach programs; conceived and raised primary seed money for acquisition and restoration of the Philipse Manor Railroad Station for adaptive re-use as the HVWC’s headquarters.
1996-2000
Project Director, Comprehensive Literacy Project, Coachman Family Center. Organized, funded, staffed, and worked as tutor for joint Westhab and HVWC literacy project at largest homeless center in Westchester County. Project originated from after-school writing workshop that was ongoing from 1990 to 2003. Other elements included art workshops in metal sculpture, photography, dance and singing; computer lab for literacy skills development; reading lab; pre-school educational enrichment; and development of scholarship program.
1983-1989
Founder and Director, Sleepy Hollow Poetry Series, Tarrytown, New York. Created reading series at the Warner Library. Responsible for fundraising, setting up and administrating reading series in which approximately twenty four writers presented their work each year. From the beginning of the series, the emphasis was on providing a forum to represent the diversity of poets and writers in America with entire year-long celebrations of Native American, African American, and women writers.
SELECTED POETRY PERFORMANCES
Numerous readings include Geraldine Dodge Poetry Festival, October 7-10, 2010; Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China (2008); Old Forge Arts Center, Old Forge, New York (2008); The Ear Inn, Greenwich Village, New York (2006); Cornelia Street Café Greenwich Village, New York (2004, 2005); The Society of the Four Arts Library, Palm Beach (2004, 2006), Florida; Sotto Voce Lounge (2003), Park Slope, New York; Atticus Books (2003) Amherst, MA; Cody’s Books (2003), Berkeley, CA; University of Cincinnati (2002), Cincinnati, Ohio; Sarah Lawrence College (2002), Bronxville, NY; The Blacksmith House (2002), Cambridge, MA; Chapters Bookstore (2003), Washington, D.C.; The Northern Westchester Center for the Arts (2002), Mt. Kisco, N.Y. Past readings include Hampshire College, Amherst, MA; The Red Bookstore, Cambridge, MA; Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C.; Spotlight on New York Writing Programs, presented by the Poetry Society of America.
Numerous public readings, both live and recorded and rebroadcast on radio from 1969 to the present, including Poet and the Poem with Grace Cavaliari, several appearances on Westchester TV Channel 12, Martha Stewart Living Radio.
OTHER CONTESTS AND AWARDS
Brittingham and Pollak Prizes in Poetry, University of Wisconsin Press Poetry Series, CRACKED PIANO, Semi-Finalist, 2011; Spire Press Chapbook Contest, Finalist, 2011; Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Book Contest, Semi-Finalist, 2011, 2010; Sow’s Ear Poetry Review Chapbook Contest, Finalist, 2010; Five times nominated for Pushcart Prize, most recently in 2009; Black River Chapbook Contest, Semi-Finalist, 2008; President’s Volunteer Service Award, 2007; Finishing Line Press Chapbook Contest, Semi-Finalist, 2006; Bright Hill Chapbook Contest Finalist, 2005; 3rd Place, 2004; Finalist, 2003 Connecticut Poetry Festival Poetry Competition, Newtown, CT; Richard Snyder Publication Prize Book Contest Finalist, Magellan Prize, 2001; Buttonwood Press Book Contest, Semi-Finalist, 2001, 1999; Silverfish Review Chapbook Contest, Finalist, 1988, 1989, 2000, 2001; Brittingham and Pollak Prizes in Poetry, University Press of Wisconsin Press Poetry Series, Frozen Spring, Finalist or Semi-Finalist,1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001; Defined Providence Press, Book Contest, Finalist, 2000; Hollis Summers Poetry Prize, Ohio University Press Swallow Press Book Contest, Finalist, 1999; American Literary Review Poetry Contest, Finalist, 1997; The Bluestem Press, Emporia State University Press Book Contest, Finalist, 1996; The Poetry Center of the 92nd Street Y, “Discovery”/The Nation Contest, Finalist, 1985; Jenny McKean Moore Poetry Fellowship, George Washington University, 1980.
OTHER ARTISTIC PUBLICATIONS
Finding Time for Poetry, feature interview by Donya Dickerson appeared in Poet’s Market (338-341) 2004. Poem displayed with photographic art in Lynn Butler's, Preservation of Historic Landscape and Landmarks, at Nikon House, New York, N.Y., Portland Museum of Art, Portland, Maine, and many other museums from 1992 to 1996; Photograph published as book jacket cover of Relearning the Alphabet by Denise Levertov, New Directions, 1972; Photographs published in The Movement Towards a New America, edited by Mitchell Goodman, Pilgrim Press, 1970. Photographs published in numerous journals and magazines; Numerous photographs published in The Harvard Advocate and other periodicals.