BIOGRAPHY

Our Distinguished Writer in Residence, Rikki Ducornet, is the author of two collections of short fiction, a book of essays, and seven novels, including The Jade Cabinet, a finalist for The National Book Critics’ Circle Award, and The Fan-Maker’s Inquisition, a Los Angeles Times Book of the Year. Her daring, playful, and often exotic work has resulted in fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, The Bunting Institute, and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. She has won the Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters and The Lannan Literary Award for Fiction, and in 2008 was granted an Academy Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

BRIEF CURRICULUM VITAE

PUBLICATIONS, NOVELS

Gazelle.  New York: Knopf, 2003. “Our Editors Recommend,” S.F. Chronicle. [Milano:.  New York: Henry Holt, 1999. [Paris: Le Serpent à Plumes (French Fanucci (Italian translation), 2004.] New York: Vintage, 2004.Joelle Losfeld, Paris,Gallimard(French translation) 2007.
The Fan Maker’s Inquisition translation), 2002; Vienna: Deuticke (German translation), 2001; Barcelona Planeta (Spanish translation), 2002.] Moscow, AST Publishers.(Russian Translation), 2004.Gallimard, pending.
L.A. Times Book of the Year, 1999.
Phosphor in Dreamland.  Normal, Ill.:  The Dalkey Archive, 1995. [Paris: Le Serpent à Plumes (French translation), 2000.]  Gallimard, pending.
Critic’s Choice Award, 1995.Best Books of the Year, Publisher’s Weekly, 1995.
The Stain.   Normal, Ill.: The Dalkey Archive, 1995.  [London: Chatto and Windus, 1984; New York: Grove, 1984; Copenhagen: Borgen Forlang (Danish translation), 1986.]Metaekdoti Publishers. (Greek Translation)2005. Sphinx Bokforlag,Sweden, under contract.
The Jade Cabinet.  The Dalkey Archive, 1993.
Finalist, National Book Critic’s Circle Award, 1994.
The Fountains of Neptune.  Normal Ill.: The Dalkey Archive, 1992.  (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1989.) 
Entering Fire.  San Francisco: City Lights, 1986.  [London: Chatto and Windus, 1986.  Angers: Deleatur (French translation) 1993, Paris: Le Serpent à Plumes (French translation), 1998.] 
Nominated for the 1994 Prix Maurice Edgar Coindreau.

PUBLICATIONS, SHORT FICTION

Ubar: A Cabinet of Infinite Compartments, with Amy England, Catherine Kasper and David Vance. San Jose: Leaping Dog Press, 2007.
The Doorman’s Swellage and other New Butcher’s Tales, Dalkey Archive, under contract.
The Word “Desire.”  New York: Henry Holt, 1997.Paperback reprint, The Dalkey Archive, 2005.
The Complete Butcher’s Tales.  Normal, Ill.: The Dalkey Archive, 1994, 1999.
The Volatalized Ceiling of Baron Munodi, illustrated by the author.  Angers: Les Indes Oniriques, 1991 (includes French translation).
The Butcher’ s Tales (short version).  London: Atlas Press, 1991.
Haddock’s Eyes, illustrated by the author.  Paris: Les Editions du Fourneau, 1987.
The Butcher’s Tales (original version).  Toronto: Aya Press, 1980.

PUBLICATIONS, POETRY

Le Culte du Rapt, selected poems, french Translation by Jean-Jaques Celly, Jaques Bremond, publisher, France, 2005.
The Cult of Seizure.  Erin Ontario: Porcupine’s Quill, 1989.
The Illustrated Universe.  Toronto: Aya Press, 1979.
Knife Notebook.  Fredericton, New Brunswick: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1977.
Weird Sisters.  Vancouver, Intermedia, 1976.
Wild geraniums.  London: Actual Size Press, 1975.
From the Star Chamber.  Fredericton, New Brunswick: Fiddlehead Poetry Books, 1974

PUBLICATIONS, CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Shazira Shazam and the Devil.  , 1973; New York: Prentice-Hall, 1972.Junior Literary Guild Selection, 1973. Put to music and performed by The Canadian Brass.
The Blue Bird.  New York: Knopf, 1970.

PUBLICATIONS, ESSAYS

The Monstrous and the Marvelous.  San Francisco: City Lights, 1999.
The Deep Zoo and Silling, Leaping Dog Press, 2006.
Essays in preparation (AWP 2007): Faiiry Tales in Contemporary Fiction (panel); Building with words: Fiction as Architecture (panel).

PERFORMANCES, DRAMA

Dimsumzoo (with Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro).  Performed by the Changing Scene, Boston, Germinal,Denver, summer 1993; staged reading, Harvard University, fall 1992.

RECENT WORK ANTHOLOGIZED

Rules of Thumb, ed. Michael Martone, 2006.
TEXT: UR, The New Book of Masks, ed. Forrest Aguire, Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2007.
Paraspheres, Omnidawn, ed. Morrison and Keegan, 2006.
Extreme Fiction, Hemley & Martone, eds. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004.
Love is the Only Story, ed. Ben Schrank. The Lyon’s Press, 2003.
Surrealist Subversions. Ron Sakolsky, ed. New York: Automedia, 2003.
Anthologie des Poètes Surréalistes Américains.  ed. and translator, Jean-Jacques Celly. France: Editions Jacques Brémond, 2003.
Two Kingdoms. Howard Norman, ed. New York: Conjunctions, 2003.
Leviathan.  Forrest Aguirre and Jeff VanderMeer, eds.  Madison, Wiconsin: Minister of Whimsy, 2002.
McSweeney’s 8.  Paul Maliszewski, ed.  New York: McSweeny’s, 2002.
Anthologie ses Poètes Surréalistes Américains.  Jean-Jaques Chelly, ed.  Roussillon, France: Jaques Brémond, 2002.
Rejoicing Revoicing.  Bradford Morrow, ed.  Bard College, New York: Conjunctions, 2002.
The Review of Contemporary Fiction:  Rikki Ducornet, Richard Powers.  Normal, Ill.: Illinois State University, 1999.
Eye to Eye (Conjunctions).  Bradford Morrow, ed.  New York: Bard College, 1999.
Fetish.  Jon Yau, ed.  New York/London: Four Walls Eight Windows, 1998.
The Tiger Garden.  Nicholas Royle, ed.  London: Serpent’s tail, 1997.
The Time-out Book of New York Short Stories.  Nicholas Royle, ed.  New York/ London: Penguin, 1997.
Two or The Book of Twins and Doubles.  Penelope Farmer, ed.  London: Virago, 1996.
I silenzi dei testi e i silenzi della critica.  Carla Locatelli, ed.  University of Trento, Italy, 1996. 
Chic-Lit 2.  Chris Mazza, ed.  Normal, Ill.: FC2, 1996.
After Yesterday’s Crash.  Larry McCaffrey, ed.  New York: Penguin, 1995.
Degenerative Prose.  Ron Sukenick, ed.  Normal, Ill.: Black Ice, 1995.
Brought to Book.  Ian Breakwell, ed.  New York: Penguin, 1994.
High Risk.  Amy Scholder and Ira Silverberg, eds.  New York: Plume, 1994.
The Myth of the World: The Dedalus Book of Surrealism 2.  Michael Richardson, ed.  London: Dedalus, 1994.
Transgressions: The Iowa Anthology of Innovative Fiction.  Lee Montgomery, ed.  Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1994.
The Identity of Things: The Dedalus Book of Surrealism 1.  Michael Richardson, ed.  London: Dedalus, 1994.

ILLUSTRATIONS INCLUDE

Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, Encyclomedia, Providence, 2006.
In the Colorless Round, text by Joanna Howard, Noemi Press, Las Cruces, 2006
Calendar, by Anne Waldman.  Rain Taxi: Minneapolis, 2001. 
The  Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases, Night Shade Books, 2004.
The Blue Stone Collection, Forrest Gander, London, 2005.
Les Sonates du Rosaire, by Jean-Jaques Celly, Jaques Bremond, publisher, France, 2005.
Torn Wings and Faux Pas, by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, New York: Pantheon, 1997.
L’Orenoque, Frederique, Editions Harmonie, Paris, France, 1980.
Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, by Jorge Luis Borges.  Erin, Ontario: Porcupine’s Quill, 1983. 
Alcuin Society Design Citation, 1983.
Spanking the Maid, by Robert Coover.  Colombia, S.C.: Bruccoli Clarke, 1981.
The Leaves of Louise, text by Matt Cohen, McClelland and Stewart, Toronto, Canada, 1978.
Gullband,  text by Susan Musgrave, J.J. Douglas, Canada, 1974.
Le Nouveau Jeu do Loto, (with Guy Ducornet), Soror, 1973.
The Blue Bird, Alfred A. Knopf, 1970.
Beauty and the Beast, Mme Leprince de Beaumont, Alfred A. Knopf, 1968.

ON LINE

Web Del Sol, a Gallery (drawings)
Web Del Sol, Double Room#4 (Paintings)
Wikipedia, drawing for Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius (Borges)

AWARDS AND GRANTS

Lannan Literary Award for Fiction, 2004.
L.A. Times Book of the Year, 1999.
College International des Traducteurs Litteraires, Arles, France, Spring, 2005.
Lannan Residency at Marfa, Texas, fall 2004.
Charles Flint Kellogg Award in Arts and Letters, 1998.
Critic’s Choice, 1996.
Lannan Literary Fellowship for Fiction, 1993.
Finalist, National Book Critic’s Circle Award, 1993.
Finalist, Prix Maurice Edgar Coindreau, 1993.
Copeland Colloquium, Amherst College, 1992.
Eben Demarest Trust, 1990.
Mary Ingram Bunting Institute, 1987-1988.
Ingram Merrill Foundation, 1988.
Ontario Arts Council, 1976, 1977, 1983, 1987.

RECENT TEACHING EXPERIENCE INCLUDES

Novelist in Residence, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Spring, 2007.
Centrum Writer’s Workshop, Port Townsend, 2007.
Denver University: Writer in Residence, 1988-2000.Visiting Writer, Spring, 2004.
Vermont College, Post Graduate Writer’s Conference, Summer, 2004.
Naropa University at Prameni, Festival Poeticky, Prague, Spring, 2003.
Writers at Work, Utah, summer 2002.
Bard College: MFA workshops, spring 2000.
Brown University, Naropa University: Practicums, (ongoing).
Vermont Studio Center, winter 2001, spring 2003.
Centrum Writer’s workshop, Port Townsend, summer 2000.
University of Trento, Italy, spring 1994.
Tenth Annual International Colloquium on twentieth Century French Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder, 1993.
Novel of the Americas Symposia, University of Colorado at Boulder, 1990, 1991, 1992.

RECENT READINGS INCLUDE

Keynote Lecture “On Obscurity” University of Paris IV, Sorbonne, December, 2006.
Societé de Gens de Lettres, Hôtel de Massa, Paris, spring 2001.  Introduced by Marc Chénetier.
Villa Gilet, Lyon, winter,2003.
Symposium sur la Littérature Américaine Contemporaine, “Imagination Alive Imagine, “ Institut Charles V, Paris, spring 2001.
Topos/Chronos, “Aesthetics for a New Millennium,” University of Colorado at Boulder, spring 2001.
Lahti International Writer’s Reunion, Mukkula, Finland, 2000.
The International Writers Center Reading series, 1999-200 season, Washington University.  Introduced by William Gass.
Intersections 11, San Jose Museum of Art, winter 2000. 
Cross Fertilizations, Museum of Contemporary Art, san Diego, 2000.
Walker Art Center, with Rosamond Purcell, winter 2000.

SELECTED ESSAYS ON THE WORK OF RIKKI DUCORNET

Alchemy of Dreams and Desires.  M.E. Worlick.  Pullman, Washington.  Cauda Pavonis, fall 2001.
Estructura e ideologia en la obra de Angela Carter y Rikki Ducornet, Leonor Acosta Bustamante, Cadiz, Spain, Doctoral Thesis, 2003.
Innes, Charlotte. The Nation, June 6, 1994.
Where Gardens are Paved Over, American Book Review, Volume 15, #5, 1994.
Calvinoism, Jonathan Coe, London Review of Books, 26 March, 1992.
Rikki, J.H. Mathews, Dictionnaire General du Surrealism, p. 364.

Recent Interviews with Rikki Ducornet

Lannan Foundation, interviewed by Joanna Scott, March 2005
Web Del Sol, interviewed by Lisa Kavchack, Sept. 2003
Bomb, interviewed by Laura Mullen, issue #85, 2003
Bookworm, interviewed by Michael Silverblatt, Sept. 1994, 2004
The Book Show, Northeast Public Radio, Sept. 2003

EXHIBITIONS OF PAINTINGS, PRINTS, AND DRAWINGS:

Solo  

“Desirous”, Pierre Menard Gallery, Cambridge, Mass. May, 2007.           
“A Cabinet of Wonders,” Notre Dame University, 1999.
“Alphabets of Desire,” Galerie 13, Hanover, Germany, 1992.
“Illustrating Borges,” Denver University Library, 1990
The Bunting Institute at Radcliff, 1988
La Licorne Bleue, Flavigny, France, 1983.
Peristyle du Theàtre, Saumur, France, 1981.
La Tête en Bas, Angers, France, 1981.
Herter Gallery, University of Massachusetts, 1978.
Manfred Gallery, Canada, 1976.
Scollard Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 1976.
Galerie St. Germain des Pres, 1973.
Waterloo University, Canada, 1969.
Adams Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 1969.
Proctor Art Center, Bard College, 1966.
Studio 65, Brussels, Belgium, 1965.
American Cultural Center, Constantine, Algeria, 1963.

Group          

Bomb Magazine’s Benefit Auction, Webster Hall, New York, 2004.
Come Shining, Poet’s Theater, New York, 1997.
De Bonnard a Baselitz, chefs-d’œuvre de l’estampe du xxe siècle.  Paris: Bibliotèque Nationale, 1992.
Dechiphrage, Galerie 13, Hannover, Germany, 1992.
L’Envers du Décor, with Virgil Burnett and Tony Urquhart, La Licorne Bleue, 1992.
Dream Scissors, Amsterdam, 1992 (travelling show to South America, Germany and Sweden).
Phases in Germany, Galerie 13, Hannover, Germany, 1992.
Phases in Quebec, 1990.
Estampes et Livres d’ Artistes du xxe siècle. Paris, Bibliotèque Nationale, 1990.
Ellebore, French Cultural Center, Stockholm, Sweden, 1982.
Phases, Museum of Ixelles, Belgium, 1974.
Phases in Flanders, Museum of Fine Arts, Lille, France, 1973.
Phases, Galerie Passe Muraille, Lyon, France, 1973.
Phases, Atelier Sesame, Galerei Passe Muraile, Lyon, France, 1973.
Homage a Bosch, University of Waterloo, Canada, 1973.
Presencia Viva de Wolfgang Paalen, Museum of Fine Art, Mexico City, 1979.
Ellebore, Galerie Poisson d’Or, Paris, France, 1979.
Phases in Portugal, Sociedad Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon, Portugal, 1979.
Centennial of Hysteria, Chicago, 1978.
Phases, Usinor, Denain, France, 1978.
A Decade of Surrealism, London, 1978.
Phases in Portugal, Museau National de Castro Coimbra, 1978.
Surrealism in 1977, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, 1977.
Marvellous Freedom, Vigilance of Desire, World Surrealist Exhibition, Chicago, 1976.
International Surrealist Collage in Czechslovakia (Prague, Brno, Opava etc.) 1966-1968.
Exposition Fantasmagie in Czechoslovakia, 1969.

ON TEACHING AND/OR WRITING

The process of writing is as mysterious as it is dynamic. Writing a novel can be a little like speaking in tongues! Sometimes I think of it as alchemical---transforming the stuff of life into something new, possibly clairvoyant, hopefully lucid. It breaks my heart when one writer tells another writer what she can or cannot do. It seems to me that the imagining mind---which is also a profoundly human mind---must be unfettered, boundless. Writers need to go anywhere, to take on anything. And the only rule is to do it well. I really think that to write responsibly with an unfettered imagination is one of the most moral things a person can do. Writing is a marvelous vehicle for transformation. Our passwords are rigor and imagination, and our emblems the crystal and the flame---lucent and mutable. Revelation and subversion---these, too, will guide us. Writing is a process of revelation for both the reader and the writer. In conference and in class, we discuss ways of heightening the text, opening it up, polishing it by the moon, dissolving boundaries.

Parts of this comment were taken from "Take on Anything: An Interview with Rikki Ducornet," by Ann Williams, first published in Experience, Centrum's magazine for the creative life.

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Last updated: March 8 , 2007.