Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Donovan, Laurence, 1927-
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Laurence Donovan was a poet, artist, and English professor at the University of Miami.
Donovan was born in 1927, and grew up in southern Florida. His parents were Ruth and Laurence Donovan, and he had one brother, Patrick. His father was best known for publishing Doc Savage novels under the alias Norman Danberg.
Donovan served as a private in the Army Corps of Engineers in the Philippines from 1945-1946. Following his military service, he graduated with an A.B. from the University of Miami in 1951, and an M.A. in 1954. He also completed one year of Ph.D. coursework at the University of Iowa in 1957. Donovan taught English at the University of Miami from the 1950s through the 1980s, first as an instructor, and then as a professor. He passed away in 2001.
Laurence Donovan is best known for his poetry, much of which was inspired by Florida’s natural beauty. His poems were published in literary journals across the nation. An avid artist, Donovan was prominent in the Coconut Grove art scene in the 1960s. His artwork was featured in numerous exhibitions and it was frequently published, sometimes accompanying his literary work. Donovan also wrote book reviews for the Miami Herald for many years.