David Clewell
American poet (1955–2020)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
David Clewell (February 11, 1955 – February 15, 2020)[1] was an American poet and creative writing instructor at Webster University. From 2010–2012, he served as the Poet Laureate of Missouri.
David Clewell | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 11, 1955 |
| Died | February 15, 2020 (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Highland Park High School University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA) Washington University in St. Louis (MFA) |
| Spouse | Patricia |
Life
Clewell was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1955[2][3] and attended Highland Park High School, in nearby Highland Park, where he first developed an interest in poetry.[4] He graduated from University of Wisconsin with a B.A. in English.[5] In 1979, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri and earned an M.F.A. in writing from Washington University in St. Louis.[3] In 1985, Clewell began teaching in the English Department at Webster University.[3][6] A year later, he started the Webster University Visiting Writers Series, which he still coordinated until his death.[5]
As an instructor at Webster University, Clewell taught courses on 19th- and 20th-century literature, as well as poetry workshops and seminars. In 2010, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon noted that Clewell "has a unique perspective on contemporary American life and the characters and ideas that loom large in our recent history."[5]
Clewell is the author of 10 poetry collections and his work has appeared in over 50 journals and magazines,[5] including Harper's,[7] Poetry,[8][9] The Kenyon Review, The Missouri Review,[10] The Georgia Review, Ontario Review, New Letters, and Yankee. He has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize for poetry seven times.[5]
He was the poet laureate for the state of Missouri, serving until 2012. He was succeeded by William Trowbridge.[5][dead link]
He lived in Webster Groves, Missouri with his wife Patricia.[3][5]
Awards
- Pollak Poetry Prize for Now We're Getting Somewhere
- Lavan Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets
- 1989 National Poetry Series, for Blessings in Disguise
- 2017 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts from the Webster Groves (MO) Arts Commission[11]
Works
Poems
- "from Jack Ruby's America", Word Virtual, 1999
- "Not to Mention Love: A Heart for Patricia", Poets.org
- "On the Eve of His Retirement, the Weight-Guesser Goes All Out", Poetry Foundation, March 2000
- "The Accomplice", Counterbalance, April 9, 2007
- "Two Alley Songs for the Vegetable Man: St. Louis, MO", Poetry Foundation, January 1985
Poetry collections
- Room to Breathe. Pentagram Press. 1976. ISBN 978-0-915316-30-4.
- Blessings in Disguise. Penguin Books. 1991. ISBN 978-0-14-058672-5.
- Now We're Getting Somewhere. University of Wisconsin Press. 1994. ISBN 978-0-299-14414-2.
David Clewell.
- The conspiracy quartet. Garlic Press. 1997. ISBN 978-0-9643009-2-7.
- Jack Ruby's America. Garlic Press. 2000. ISBN 978-0-9643009-3-4.
- The Low End of Higher Things. University of Wisconsin Press. 2003. ISBN 978-0-299-18574-9.
- Taken Somehow By Surprise. University of Wisconsin Press. 2011. ISBN 978-0-299251-14-7.
Anthologies
- Naomi Shihab Nye; Paul B. Janeczko, eds. (1999). "Goodbye Note to Debbie Fuller: Pass It On". I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You: Paired Poems by Men & Women. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-689-81341-2.
- Laure-Anne Bosselaar, ed. (1999). Outsiders: poems about rebels, exiles, and renegades. Milkweed Editions. ISBN 978-1-57131-409-3.
- Billy Collins, ed. (2003). Poetry 180: a turning back to poetry. Random House Trade Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0-8129-6887-3.
- Jack Elliott Myers; Roger Weingarten, eds. (2005). New American poets. David R. Godine Publisher. ISBN 978-1-56792-302-5.