GA-25-005 Conrad Aiken

Marker text: Conrad Aiken

Conrad Aiken, Poet and Man of Letters, was born in Savannah on August 5, 1889, and lived at No. 228 (opposite) until 1901. After the tragic deaths of his parents, he was moved to New England. Most of his writing career was divided between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Rye, England. In 1962 he returned to Savannah to live and write in the adjoining house, No. 230 until his death August 17, 1973. Of his home here he wrote: "Born in that most magical of cities, Savannah, I was allowed to run wild in that earthly paradise until I was nine; ideal for the boy who early decided he wanted to write."

Though he wrote novels, short stories and critical essays, his first love was poetry. His work earned many awards including the Pulitzer Prize (1930),l National Book Award (1954), and the National medal of literature (1969). He was a member of the national Academy of Arts and Sciences and held the Chair of poetry of the Library of Congress (1950 to 1952). Governor Jimmy Carter appointed him Poet Laureate of Georgia on March 30, 1973. Conrad Aiken is buried beside his parents in Bonaventure Cemetery.

Georgia Historical Society, Historic Savannah Foundation 1980