Poet Stone dies at 96

Her daughter Phoebe confirmed the sad news on Thursday (24Nov11). Stone died of natural causes on 19 November (11).

Stone became a prolific writer in the last 20 years of her life and won the National Book Award in 2002 for In the Next Galaxy. She was also a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize. The American poet also landed National Book Critics Circle award and two Guggenheim honours during her career.

Stone’s personal life was touched by sadness – her second husband and the love of her life, Walter Stone, hanged himself during a vacation in England. She recalled seeing his dead body in the poem Turn Your Eyes Away.

Among her many beloved works were American Milk and Simplicity.