Lydia Tomkiw
Lydia Tomkiw (August 6, 1959 – September 4, 2007) was an American poet, singer, and songwriter, best known for her work with the new wave musical group Algebra Suicide, along with her husband Don Hedeker.
Early life
Lydia Tomkiw was born in Chicago to immigrants from what is now Ukraine but was then a part of the Soviet Union. Her father Teodor worked at the local US Steel mill, while her mother Zenovia worked at the women's wear department at a local department store. The family lived near Humboldt Park, at the time a largely Polish neighborhood, but which became mostly Puerto Rican by the time Tomkiw was in her teens.
She graduated from Lane Tech high school in 1977 and attended the University of Illinois Chicago campus and later Columbia College, where she received a Master's Degree in Interdisciplinary Arts. According to the poet Paul Hoover, Tomkiw "became interested in poetry in her first year of college at University of Illinois Chicago, where she took a class with the poet Maxine Chernoff", before transferring to Columbia.[1] She met Hedeker at a gig in 1980 with his band the Trouble Boys. They soon started dating and started Algebra Suicide in 1983.
Algebra Suicide
The band was popular in the Chicago area, and had a strong, if small, following elsewhere, especially Europe, where they toured in 1990. But while they enjoyed much critical success, financial success was lacking. Lydia purchased a club, the Club Lower Links, in 1991 with several partners, but within two years she was forced to sell her share. She and Hedeker divorced in 1993, and while they remained together professionally a bit longer, the end was clearly in sight. Algebra Suicide broke up for good in 1995.
Later years and death
After the divorce, Lydia moved to New York City in the East Village. There she developed a solo record, Incorporated, which tapped a number of avant garde artists like the Legendary Pink Dots for production and performance help. She also continued to write and performed her poetry at various readings around the city. She spent her last years in Phoenix, Arizona near her family. She died in September 2007, and was interred at the mausoleum at the Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in Chicago.
Discography
As Algebra Suicide
True Romance At The World’s Fair EP 1982
An Explanation For That Flock Of Crows EP 1984
Big Skin cassette 1986
The Secret Like Crazy (compilation + unreleased) 1988
Real Numbers 1988 (live at Link's Hall, 9 April 1988)
Alpha Cue 1990
Swoon 1991
Tongue Wrestling 1995
Summer Virus Night (live 1990) 2009
Feminine Squared (compilation) 2013
Solo album
Incorporated 1995
Published work
Poetry Collections:
Ballpoint Erection
Popgun Sonatas
The Dreadful Swimmers
Obsessions
Big Skin
Featured in:
The Best American Poetry
New American Writing
Walk on the Wild Side: Urban American Poetry Since 1974
Unbearables Anthology
Aerial
joe soap’s canoe
Brooklyn Review
B-City
The Santa Monica Review
Thunder Egg
Hairtrigger
The Wormwood Review
References
- ↑ "Paul Hoover's Poetry Blog: Lydia Tomkiw". Paulhooverpoetry.blogspot.com. 2007-10-22. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
- Article by Brad Plantenga from fringecore 9 about Lydia Tomkiw and Algebra Suicide
- Article from Chicago Sun Times
- Article on WFMU's blog, includes video of "Dead Little Bodies"
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