New York: Meena Alexander, a peerless presence in English poetry, has passed away at the age of 67, after undergoing medical care for cancer. Meena, a teacher by profession, has worked as Distinguished Professor in English and Women's Studies at the New York City University, and was also an English teacher at the Hunter College in the city.
Meena had earned international fame and collected prized awards for her poems, novels and memoirs.
Born in Allahabad as the daughter of the late George Alexander of Kannadikkal, Keezhukara, Kozhenchery, and Mary of Kurichyat family in Niranam Meena grew up in Sudan and went to marry American David Lelyveld whom she met during her days in Hyderabad as an English teacher. Children: Adam and Swati.
Among Meena's well-known anthologies of poems are 'Illiterate Heart' which won the Pen Open Book Award, 'Quickly Changing River,' 'Birthplace With Buried Stones,' 'Raw Silk' etc.
Her latest work was 'Atmospheric Embroidery,' a beautiful narration on the wonder of survival, released in June this year.
The African link
Meena turned five as she was flying over the Indian Ocean on the way to Sudan, where her father, who worked with the Indian Meteorological Department, had found a job. She did her schooling in Khartoum, and went on to study English and French at the university. After earning her BA Honours in the two languages, she proceeded to Britain for further studies of Queen's English. Meena earned a doctorate from the Nottingham University.
She then took up teaching at the Language Institute in Hyderabad, where she met her life partner David Lelyveld.
On to the States
The wedding took Meena to the United States, after life in three different continents. A life totally different from childhood spent in India and Sudan and days in Britain. In 1979, Meena settled in New York, where David was executive director at the Centre for International Relations. He was the younger brother of Joseph Lelyveld, who was 'New York Times' editor and director of Reuters.
The Levyveld family had other India connections as well. Joseph had to his credit published books on Mahatma Gandhi.
At the same time, Meena had more direct links to the Father of the Nation. Gandhiji had stayed at the house of her maternal grandfather K K Kuruvilla during his visit to Kerala to attend the Vaikom Satyagrha (1924-25). The founder headmaster of the MT Seminary High School in Kottayam and a dedicated Gandhian, Kuruvilla was also member of the Travancore legislature along with his wife Elizabeth.
Meena has also worked as teacher at the School of Letters at the MG University. Her mother Mary lives with Elsa, the writer's sister, in Chennai.
Meena was originally named Mary Elizabeth. Always passionate about poetry, she adopted the name Meena at the age of 15 as she discovered that it carried beautiful meanings in different languages.