About
I grew up in Pittsburgh. My ethnic background is Italian and Polish. I graduated from Wesleyan Unversity (CT) with high honors in English, owing to my senior thesis, which was a novel. I also received an M.A. from Hollins College (now University), where I won both fiction and poetry writing awards (Andrew James Purdy and Academy of American Poets). My published books include Flowers in the Dark (poetry, Kelsay Books), Ghost Tracks: Stories of Pittsburgh Past (Big Table Publishing), A Luke of All Ages/Fire and Ice (Adelaide Books), Calling the Names (David Roberts Books), Painting a Disappearing Canvas (Grayson Books), and The Landscapes of Pater (Vineyard Press). My work has also appeared in numerous literary magazines and anthologies around the U.S. and abroad. I am also a painter. Recently I retired from Yale University as a medical illustrator and graphic designer.
Featured Work
Flowers in the Dark
In writer Mark Saba’s poetry collection, Flowers in the Dark, rich evocative poems depict landscapes of the heart, home, and time travels. A keen observer who respects the Earth, Saba has crossed life’s shadows and underscores what matters. He muses on his roots in the Allegheny foothills of Pittsburgh, traditions of grandparents from the Old World, and the plight of today’s immigrants. Weaving in exquisite metaphors and vivid scenes that appeal to all the senses, Saba recalls the power of pulsating clouds, blush peonies on a home altar, and creaking trees. Many thought-provoking poems end on notes of upbeat resignation. Lessons learned during a lifelong storm, he now values the essence of words, an object’s roots. In this timeless book, Saba brilliantly captures quotidian happenings that have evolved into treasured milestones.
—Amy Barone, poet and author of Defying Extinction and We Became Summer
Other Works
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A Luke of All Ages/Fire and Ice
2020
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Ghost Tracks: Stories of Pittsburgh Past
2017
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Calling the Names
2017
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Painting a Disappearing Canvas
2012
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Thaddeus Olsen (in Desperate Remedies)
2008
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The Landscapes of Pater
2004
Awards and Recognition
- Gertrude Claytor Poetry Award (from Academy of American Poets) at Hollins College, 1983
- Andrew James Purdy fiction award (Hollins College), 1983
- Epic Poem Award (Mellen Poetry Press, 1996)
- Reader Views short fiction award (for novellas A Luke of All Ages/Fire and Ice), 2021