Terese Svoboda

Poet, Fiction Writer, Creative Nonfiction Writer

NYC, NY
New York US
Email: 
svoboda@el.net
Website: 
teresesvoboda.com

Author's Bio

A Guggenheim fellow and the author of twenty-four books of poetry and prose including memoir, biography, and a book of translation from the Nuer, Terese Svoboda has won the Bobst Prize in fiction, the Iowa Poetry Prize, an NEH translation grant, the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize, a Jerome Foundation video prize, the Juniper Prize and an O. Henry Award for the short story, and a Pushcart Prize for the essay. Three-time winner of the New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, she has been awarded Headlands, James Merrill, Yaddo, MacDowell, and Bellagio residencies. Her opera WET premiered at L.A.'s Disney Hall. In 2025, she published her second memoir, Hitler and My Mother-in-Law.

Education: 
Columbia University School of the Arts MFA
Writers Retreats: 
Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference and Bookfair
Bogliasco Foundation
Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference
Headlands Center for the Arts
James River Writers Conference
MacDowell
Sewanee Writers’ Conference
Southampton Writers Conference
Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
Literary agent: 
Folio

Publications & Prizes

Creative Nonfiction

Books:
Hitler and My Mother-in-Law (OR Books, 2025)
,
Anything That Burns You: A Portrait of Lola Ridge, Radical Poet (Schaffner Press, 2016)
,
Black Glasses Like Clark Kent (Graywolf Press, 2008)

Fiction

Books:
The Long Swim (University of Massachusetts Press, 2024)
,
Dog on Fire (University of Nebraska Press, 2023)
,
Roxy and Coco (West Virginia University Press, 2023)
,
Great American Desert (Ohio State University Press, 2019)
,
Bohemian Girl (Bison Books, 2011)
,
Pirate Talk or Mermalade (Dzanc Books, 2010)
,
Tin God (Bison Books, 2006)
,
Trailer Girl and Other Stories (Counterpoint Press, 2001)
,
A Drink Called Paradise (Counterpoint Press, 1999)
,
Cannibal (New York University Press, 1985)

Poetry

Anthology:
Cleaned The Crocodile's Teeth (Greenfield Review Press, 1985)
Books:
Theatrix: Poetry Plays (Anhinga Press, 2021)
,
Professor Harriman's Steam Air-Ship (Eyewear Publishing, 2016)
,
When The Next Big War Blows Down the Valley (Anhinga Press, 2015)
,
Weapons Grade (University of Arkansas Press, 2009)
,
Treason (Zoo Press, 2002)
,
Mere Mortals (University of Georgia Press, 1995)
,
Laughing Africa (University of Iowa Press, 1990)
,
All Aberration (University of Georgia Press, 1985)
Chapbook:
Dogs Are Not Cats (MadHat Press, 2013)
Prizes won: 

Guggenheim, Bobst Prize in fiction, the Iowa Poetry Prize, an NEH translation grant, the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize, a Jerome Foundation video prize, Juniper Prize and the O. Henry Award and Juniper Prize for the short story, and a Pushcart Prize for the essay. Three-time winner of the New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, The Wigleaf Top 50 Very Short Fictions of 2010, 2011, 2022.

Watch

Personal Favorites

Favorite authors: 
Joy Williams, Latasha Nevada Diggs, Fred Moten, Lewis Nordan and Marie Ndiaye
What I'm reading now: 
Harrow by Joy Williams, Winter by Ali Smith

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
American
Prefers to work with: 
Adults
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
Ogallala, NE
Nebraska
Raised in: 
NE
Nebraska
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Sep 09, 2025