Poet, novelist, literary scholar, and academic, Meena Alexander was born in Allahabad, India in 1951 to parents who belonged to the South Indian state of Kerala. Named Mary Elizabeth Alexander after her grandmother, she began writing poems under the name Meena Alexander, Meena being the name she was addressed to at home. Alexander’s oeuvre includes the award-winning collection of poems, 

 (2002), which won the PEN Open Book Award, as well as 

 (2004), 

 (2005), and 

 (2008). She has also written two novels, 

 (1991) and 

 (1997), a book of essays and poems, 

 (1996), two books of literary scholarship [among which 

1342 words

Citation: Pulugurtha, Nishi. "Meena Alexander". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 May 2011; last revised 15 August 2022. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=69, accessed 24 November 2024.]

• View recommended reading for this article