Rita Dove

Rita Dove is an American poet and essayist who wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1986 poetry book, Thomas and Beulah. She served as the United States Poet Laureate from 1993 to 1995 and the Poet Laureate of Virginia from 2004 to 2006. 

How Old is Rita Dove? Who Are Her Parents?

Rita Dove was born Rita Frances Dove on August 28, 1952, in Akron, Ohio, to chemist Ray Dove and his wife Elvira Hord. She is 68 years old at the time of this writing.  

Dove attended Buchtel High School in her hometown, graduating in 1970 as a Presidential Scholar. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University, graduating summa c u m laude in 1973. She was also a Fulbright Scholar to the University of Tübingen, Germany, and earned her Master in Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa's Writers' Workshop in 1977.    

What is Rita Dove Known For?  

Rita Dove is the author of such poetry collections as 1980's The Yellow House on the Corner, 1983's Museum, 1986's Thomas and Beulah, 1989's Grace Notes, 1995's Mother Love, 1999's On the Bus with Rosa Parks, 2004's American Smooth, and 2009's Sonata Mulattica. 

Besides that, Dove authored the 1992 novel Through the Ivory Gate and has published several essays, short stories, and drama collections.     

She has won numerous awards and earned several distinctions, including the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her 1986 volume Thomas and Beulah, the  National Humanities Medal in 1996, the National Medal of Arts in 2011, and the Wallace Stevens Award in 2019.  

She served two terms, from 1993 to 1995, as the United States Poet Laureate and from 2004 to 2006 as the Poet Laureate of Virginia.   

Who is Rita Dove's Husband? Does She Have Children?

Rita Dove has been married since 1979 to her husband, the German-born American writer Fred Viebahn. They met at the University of Iowa in 1976. Due to the nature of their work, the couple split their time between Ohio, Germany, Ireland, and Israel before settling in Arizona.   

Their daughter, Aviva Dove-Viebahn, was born in 1983. Dove currently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband.  

How Much is Rita Dove Worth in 2021?

While her official net worth is yet to be disclosed, some sources claim that she is worth somewhere around $1 million as of March 2021.