Lucille Nixon

Lucille M. Nixon (December 24, 1908–December 22, 1963) [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=uNQMAAAAIAAJ&pg=PP2&dq=%22lucille+m.+nixon%22+1963&ie=ISO-8859-1#PPP2,M1 Front matter] of "Diaries of Court Ladies of Old Japan". Google Books. Retrieved 18 August 2007] was a poet and school supervisor from Palo Alto, California. In 1957 she became the first foreigner selected to participate in Utakai Hajime, the Imperial New Year’s Poetry Reading of Japan. [ [http://www.japanecho.com/sum/1999/260203.html An Imperial Poetic Tradition] , Japan Echo, Diplomatic Agenda, Vol. 26, Nr. 2] Nixon performed a 31 syllable waka about the Hōryū-ji, a Buddhist temple she had visited on a trip two years earlier. After her reading, she won the praises of Emperor Hirohito, who encouraged her to continue writing Japanese poetry so she could become a "bridge" between Japan and the United States. [Foster Hailey. "American poem wins Tokyo prize." "The New York Times". 12 January 1957. pg. 1.]

Nixon died in 1963. She authored a number of books. Among them are:

*"The Choice is Always Ours: The Classic Anthology on the Spiritual Way", Dorothy B. Phillips (Editor), Lucille M. Nixon (Editor), Elizabeth B. Howes (Editor)
*"Sounds from the unknown; a collection of Japanese-American tanka", Lucille M. Nixon (Editor), Tomoe Tana
*"Young ranchers at Oak Valley"
*"Living in Japan"

An elementary school in Palo Alto currently bears her name. [ [http://www.nixon.pausd.org/ourname.htm About Lucille M. Nixon Elementary School] . Retrieved 18 August 2007.]

References