This timeline was based on one compiled by John Lehman in his book: America’s Greatest Unknown Poet: Lorine Niedecker Reminiscences, Photographs, Letters and Her Most Memorable Poems.
May 12, 1903 | Lorine Faith Niedecker is born to Henry (Hank) and Theresa (Daisy) Kunz, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin |
June 1922 | Graduates from Fort Atkinson High School |
Sept. 1922-23 | Attends Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin |
May 1928 – Aug. 1930 | Works as a librarian’s assistant at the Dwight Foster Public Library in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin |
Nov. 29, 1928 | Marries Frank Hartwig. By 1930 they have permanently separated and she returns to her parent’s home |
1931 | Reads Zukofsky’s Objectivist issue of Poetry and, six months later, writes him, initiating their long-term correspondence |
1934 | Goes to New York to meet Louis Zukofsky |
1938 – 1942 | Lives in Madison, Wisconsin and works as a writer, then research editor for the Federal Writers’ Project. Briefly serves as a radio scriptwriter for WHA Public Radio |
1942 | Returns to Blackhawk Island and files for a divorce from Fank Hartwig |
1946 | New Goose is published |
May 8, 1944 – June 14, 1950 | Proofreader at W.D. Hoard & Sons, publisher of Hoard’s Dairyman; she has her own house built on Blackhawk Island |
1947 | Visits the Zukofskys in New York |
July 1951 | Daisy Niedecker dies |
1953 | (Christmas) Visits the Zukofskys in New York |
1954 | Henry Niedecker dies |
Feb. 1957 – late 1963 | Works at the Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital cleaning kitchens |
1961 | My Friend Tree is published |
May 26, 1963 | Marries Albert Millen, moves to Milwaukee in March, 1964 |
1965 | (Summer) Trip to South Dakota |
1966 | Origin (July 1966) features Niedecker |
Feb. 8, 1967 | Jonathan Williams visits her and in July, Basil Bunting |
May 1968 | Meets the Zukofskys in Madison, Wisconsin |
July 1968 | Trip to Minnesota and North Dakota |
Aug. 1968 | Retires permanently to Blackhawk Island |
Dec. 1968 | North Central is published |
1969 | T & G is published and the next year enlarged with the title My Life By Water |
Nov. 15, 1970 | Cid and Shizumi Corman visit |
Dec. 31, 1970 | Lorine Niedecker dies |