Location: Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1801 N. Broad Street, 19122
Frame of Reference: Samuel Delany was born on April 1, 1942 in New York City. He grew up in Harlem, and his father ran a funeral parlor while his mother was a librarian. He attended the Bronx High School of Science where he attained his high school diploma. He still lives in New York, despite his work at Temple.
Delany has taught at multiple universities including the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the State University of New York at Buffalo, Cornell University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and at Temple University since January of 2001. He is a professor of English and Creative Writing and directs the graduate creative writing program.
Significance: Delany began writing as early as 1962 with his first novel. He writes Science Fiction as well as LGBT literature. He has won several awards for his work: the Hugo Award for Best Short Story and for Best Non-Fiction Book; the Nebula Award for Best Novel; the Stonewall Book Award; the Pilgrim Award; the Nebula Award for Best Short Story; the Nebula Award for Best Novelette; the Eaton Award for Lifetime Achievement in Science Fiction; being in the Gaylactic Spectrum Award Hall of Fame.
Sam Delany and His Work: The Jewels of Aptor (1962); Captives of the Flame (1963); The Towers of Torn (1964); City of a Thousand Suns (1965); The Ballad of Beta-2 (1695); Empire Star (1966); Babel-17 (1966); The Einstein Intersection (1967); Nova (1968); The Tides of Lust (1973); Dhalgren (1975); Triton (1976); Empire (1978); Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand (1984); They Fly at Çiron (1993); The Mad Man (1994); Hogg (1995); Phallos (2004); Dark Reflections (2007); Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders (2012)
Kendrick Díaz, Temple University