Alexandria Constantinova Szeman
Alexandria Constantinova Szeman is an American author of literary fiction, poetry, true crime, memoir, and nonfiction. Her poetry and first three books were originally published under the pseudonym Sherri Szeman.
Early life
Alexandria Constantinova Szeman was born Cheryl Lynn Clemans to Patricia Eileen Donovan Clemans and James Lee Clemans, in Dayton, Ohio. She was adopted by her stepfather Edward Anthony Szeman in 1971 at the age of 15. At that time, Szeman changed her name to Sherri. In 2005, Szeman changed her name to Alexandria Constantinova Szeman.Education
Szeman graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, minor in Art History, from Wright State University in 1978, and a Master's of Art in English Literature, with concentrations in Linguistics, and in History of the English Language, from Wright State University in 1980. She earned a Ph.D. in Comparative and World Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Cincinnati in 1986.Teaching career
In 1985, she was hired at Central State University, an Historically Black University or College. She was a Professor of English and World Literature, Creative Writing, and Professional & Technical Writing at Central State until 1999, when she became a Professor of Creative Writing, World Literature, and Technical Writing at Clark State Community College.Writing career
Szeman began her writing career as a poet, and her work was widely published in university journals and literary magazines. Her dissertation was a collection of original poetry, with all poems poem published or accepted for publication before her defense. She has published novels, short stories, essays, and other genres.''The Kommandant's Mistress''
Her first novel, The Kommandant's Mistress, was published by HarperCollins in 1993, and by HarperPerennial in 1994. The novel was widely critically acclaimed. It was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review and chosen as a Notable Book. It was awarded the University of Rochester's Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize for "the outstanding book of prose fiction by an American woman," and The Talmadge McKinney Award for Excellence in Research. The Kommandant's Mistress received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, indicating a "book of outstanding merit." Favorable reviews appeared in The New Yorker, USA Today, Glamour, Newsday, ''Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, and The San Francisco Chronicle.'' The novel was sold to publishers in France, Spain and Latin America, Russia, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, and Lithuania.Awards
- Honorable Mention, Unrhymed Poetry, Writer's Digest National Writing Competition, 1980
- Elliston Poetry Prize, Grand Prize, University of Cincinnati, 1983
- Elliston Poetry Prize, 1st Prize, University of Cincinnati, 1984
- Elliston Poetry Prize, 2nd Prize, University of Cincinnati, 1985
- Michigan State University's The Centennial Review Michael Miller Award for Poetry, "Penelope to Ulysses," 1985
- Honorable Mention, Chester H. Jones Poetry Foundation National Poetry Competition, 1985
- Isabel and Mary Neff Fellowship for Creative Writing, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 1985-1986
- Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize, The Kommandant's Mistress, University of Rochester, 1994
- Third Prize, Seven Deadly Sins Contest, Story Magazine, 1995
- Grand Prize Naked, with Glasses. UKA Press International Writing Competition, 2007