Melvin Dixon was an American scholar, novelist, and poet. Dixon's scholarship, including translations, focused on French speaking writers such as Léopold Sédar Senghor, Geneviève Fabre, and Jacques Roumain. The collection consists of four audio recordings, one in which he recites his own poetry.
Melvin Dixon was an American scholar, novelist, and poet. Dixon's scholarship, including translations, focused on French-speaking writers such as Léopold Sédar Senghor, Geneviève Fabre, and Jacques Roumain.
Born in Stamford, Connecticut in 1950, Dixon graduated from Wesleyan University in 1971 with a degree in American studies. He completed graduate studies at Boston University, earning an MA in 1973, and a PhD in 1975. He taught English literature at Wesleyan University (1976-1980), and literature at Queens College (1980-1992). Dixon received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1984, and also taught at the City University of New York, Fordham University, Columbia University, and Williams College.
Dixon was influenced by James Baldwin, and wrote extensively about the complexities of being a gay Black man. His poetry portrayed both his interior explorations and world travels. Seeking his literary heritage, he traveled to the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. In addition to his poetry, Dixon wrote about and published translations of several French-speaking writers, including The Collected Poetry by Léopold Sédar Senghor (1991).
One year after the death of his partner Richard Horovitz, Dixon died of AIDS-related complications in 1992.
The Melvin Dixon audio collection consists of four audio recordings, arranged chronologically. They include a self-recording of Dixon reading his poetry. In two audio recordings, he is interviewed by Soumanou Salifu. He discusses his poetry, and English literary translations. In another, Dixon interviews Léopold Sédar Senghor. All interviews are in French.
Melvin Dixon Estate, 1993.
Item scope and content notes and AMI identifiers updated for clarity by Ornella U. Baganizi. (2024-04-12)
Collection inventoried by Christopher Arena and Nathan Evans. Collection processed and described by Ornella U. Baganizi, archivist; and Shola Lynch, curator. Finding aid published in 2024.
See the Manuscripts, Archives, and Rare Books Division for the Melvin Dixon paper, 1962-1992, Sc MG 468.
The collected poetry / by Léopold Sédar Senghor ; translated and with an introduction by Melvin Dixon, Sc D 91-1218.
Change of territory : poems / by Melvin Dixon, Sc D 98-577.