Linda Pastan

Linda Pastan (May 27, 1932 – January 30, 2023) was a Jewish American poet. From 1991 to 1995 she was Poet Laureate of Maryland. She was known for her short poems that address topics of marriage, family, and grief. Her final collection of poetry was Almost an Elegy, published in 2022.

Early life and education Linda B Olenik was born in the Bronx, New York, on May 27, 1932. Her father was a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe who became a surgeon. Her mother was a homemaker. An only child, she was raised in Armonk, New York. At age 12, she submitted her first poems to The New Yorker.