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David Kirby (poet)

January 01, 1970

For other people called David Kirby, see David Kirby.

David Kirby (born 1944) is an American poet and the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of English at Florida State University (FSU).

Kirby in 1984.

Biography edit

Early life edit

Kirby was raised in "the rural south"[1] by a polyglot "medievalist college professor" father[2] with an obsessive passion for the works of Chaucer[3] and a "farm-girl" mother[4] turned elementary school teacher[3] who "taught him how to shoot her single-shot .22 and paid him ten cents for every cottonmouth moccasin he knocked off" in aid of protecting the horses and sheep[4] on their family's 10-acre property in Louisiana.[2]

As a child, Kirby took pleasure in wandering the great outdoors; conversing with Cajun neighbors, including "some of the oddest, sweetest people [he] ever met"; and listening to fanciful stories told by his mother "about voodoo spells and people who lived in trees." He began writing for enjoyment at the age of 5 while suffering from polio.[2]

Also as a preteen, Kirby occasionally helped bartend for literary events hosted by his father's university department, meeting novelists and literary critics in the process.[3]

Education and career edit

Kirby obtained a bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University[5] and, in 1969, a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University with a thesis on Henry James.[3] Since that time, he has taught literature courses and run poetry workshops for Florida State University's English department.[2] In addition to teaching at the university's main campus in Tallahassee, Florida, he has worked at FSU's international campuses in Florence, Paris, Valencia, and elsewhere, supervising numerous undergraduate honors theses, masters theses, and doctoral dissertations in the process.[3]

Kirby has published more than 20 books, including multiple poetry collections, a handful of volumes of literary criticism, and biographies of Herman Melville and Little Richard. His poems and essays also frequently appear in journals such as The Southern Review. Kirby cites Keats, Little Richard, and Dante as foundational influences on his poetry.[3]

Marriage and children edit

Kirby lives with his wife and fellow writer Barbara Hamby in Tallahassee, Florida. Hamby has described the atmosphere of their household as akin to "an ongoing workshop," with each partner continuously encouraging and inspiring the other's writerly endeavors as well as periodically providing constructive criticism on works in progress.[3] The pair have co-edited a poetry anthology.[2]

Will Kirby, one of David's children from a previous marriage,[3] is a dermatologist and Big Brother winner.

Published works edit

Poetry collections edit

  • More Than This (LSU Press, 2019, ISBN 0-8071-6986-2)
  • Get Up, Please (LSU Press, 2016, ISBN 0-8071-6290-6)
  • A Wilderness of Monkeys (Hanging Loose Press, 2014)
  • The Biscuit Joint (LSU Press, 2013, ISBN 0-8071-5107-6)
  • Talking about Movies with Jesus (LSU Press, 2011, ISBN 0-8071-3772-3)
  • The Temple Gate Called Beautiful (Alice James Books, 2008)
  • The House on Boulevard St.: New and Selected Poems by David Kirby (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2007)
  • I Think I Am Going to Call My Wife Paraguay (Alexandria, Virginia: Orchises Press, 2004)
  • The Ha-Ha (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2003)
  • The Travelling Library (Alexandria, Virginia: Orchises Press, 2001)
  • The House of Blue Light (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2000)
  • My Twentieth Century (Alexandria, Virginia: Orchises Press, 1999)
  • Big Leg Music (Alexandria, Virginia: Orchises Press, 1995)
  • Saving the Young Men of Vienna (Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1987)
  • A Tall Woman with a Black Eye (Kalliope: a Journal of women’s literature and art. 1998)[6]

Literary criticism edit

  • Ultra-Talk: Johnny Cash, The Mafia, Shakespeare, Drum Music, St. Teresa of Avila, and 17 Other Colossal Topics of Conversation (University of Georgia Press, 2007)
  • What is a Book? (Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 2002)
  • Mark Strand and the Poet's Place in Contemporary Culture (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1990)
  • Writing Poetry: Where Poems Come from and How to Write Them (Boston: The Writer, Inc., 1989)

Biography edit

Recognition edit

In his capacity both as poet and as professor, Kirby has been the recipient of multiple awards and honors at the institutional, state, and national levels.

The Florida Arts Council awarded him four separate grants in 1983–2002. In 1985, he was awarded a grant by The National Endowment for the Arts and in 2003, he was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 2016, he won the Florida Humanities Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing.[2] His poetry has also won the Brittingham Prize in Poetry (1987) and the Pushcart Prize XXV (2001), was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize (International) in 2004, and has been collected four times in The Best American Poetry (2000, 2001, 2006, 2007).

Kirby has also been repeatedly formally recognized for his work as an educator. In 1990–2017, he repeatedly won competitive awards bestowed by Florida State University and the university's College of Arts and Sciences, including being made Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in 2003[7] and receiving the FSU Distinguished Teacher Award in 2006.[8]

Billy Collins has stated that he considers Kirby "one of the most engaging and original voices on the American poetry scene today," claiming that he "could recognize a Kirby poem on the page across a room, just as [he] could recognize one of Emily Dickinson’s."[3]

References edit

  1. ^ Kirby, David (Jan 10, 2021). "David Kirby: Why you should think like a poet". Deseret News. from the original on 2021-01-11.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "David Kirby, 2016 Lifetime Literary Award Winner". Florida Humanities. August 16, 2016. from the original on 2021-12-28.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i MacQueen, Steve (Winter 2004). "Sho' Like to Ball". FSU Research in Review. from the original on September 1, 2006.
  4. ^ a b "Featured Poet: David Kirby". Birmingham Poetry Review. 2021. from the original on 2021-12-28.
  5. ^ "McNeese to Host Reading By Poet David Kirby". McNeese State University. Feb 20, 2020. from the original on 2020-07-28.
  6. ^ Kirby, David (1998). "A Tall Woman with a Black Eye". Kalliope. 20 (1): 14.
  7. ^ "Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Award". FSU Office of the Provost. from the original on 2018-04-09.
  8. ^ "Distinguished Teaching Award Recipients". FSU Office of the Provost. from the original on 2018-04-10.

External links edit

  • David Kirby's personal web site 2007-02-18 at the Wayback Machine
  • Florida State University, Department of English website
  • Griffin Poetry Prize biography
  • Griffin Poetry Prize reading, including video clip

January 01, 1970
david, kirby, poet, other, people, called, david, kirby, david, kirby, david, kirby, born, 1944, american, poet, robert, lawton, distinguished, professor, english, florida, state, university, kirby, 1984, contents, biography, early, life, education, career, ma. For other people called David Kirby see David Kirby David Kirby born 1944 is an American poet and the Robert O Lawton Distinguished Professor of English at Florida State University FSU Kirby in 1984 Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life 1 2 Education and career 1 3 Marriage and children 2 Published works 2 1 Poetry collections 2 2 Literary criticism 2 3 Biography 3 Recognition 4 References 5 External linksBiography editEarly life edit Kirby was raised in the rural south 1 by a polyglot medievalist college professor father 2 with an obsessive passion for the works of Chaucer 3 and a farm girl mother 4 turned elementary school teacher 3 who taught him how to shoot her single shot 22 and paid him ten cents for every cottonmouth moccasin he knocked off in aid of protecting the horses and sheep 4 on their family s 10 acre property in Louisiana 2 As a child Kirby took pleasure in wandering the great outdoors conversing with Cajun neighbors including some of the oddest sweetest people he ever met and listening to fanciful stories told by his mother about voodoo spells and people who lived in trees He began writing for enjoyment at the age of 5 while suffering from polio 2 Also as a preteen Kirby occasionally helped bartend for literary events hosted by his father s university department meeting novelists and literary critics in the process 3 Education and career edit Kirby obtained a bachelor s degree from Louisiana State University 5 and in 1969 a Ph D from Johns Hopkins University with a thesis on Henry James 3 Since that time he has taught literature courses and run poetry workshops for Florida State University s English department 2 In addition to teaching at the university s main campus in Tallahassee Florida he has worked at FSU s international campuses in Florence Paris Valencia and elsewhere supervising numerous undergraduate honors theses masters theses and doctoral dissertations in the process 3 Kirby has published more than 20 books including multiple poetry collections a handful of volumes of literary criticism and biographies of Herman Melville and Little Richard His poems and essays also frequently appear in journals such as The Southern Review Kirby cites Keats Little Richard and Dante as foundational influences on his poetry 3 Marriage and children edit Kirby lives with his wife and fellow writer Barbara Hamby in Tallahassee Florida Hamby has described the atmosphere of their household as akin to an ongoing workshop with each partner continuously encouraging and inspiring the other s writerly endeavors as well as periodically providing constructive criticism on works in progress 3 The pair have co edited a poetry anthology 2 Will Kirby one of David s children from a previous marriage 3 is a dermatologist and Big Brother winner Published works editPoetry collections edit More Than This LSU Press 2019 ISBN 0 8071 6986 2 Get Up Please LSU Press 2016 ISBN 0 8071 6290 6 A Wilderness of Monkeys Hanging Loose Press 2014 The Biscuit Joint LSU Press 2013 ISBN 0 8071 5107 6 Talking about Movies with Jesus LSU Press 2011 ISBN 0 8071 3772 3 The Temple Gate Called Beautiful Alice James Books 2008 The House on Boulevard St New and Selected Poems by David Kirby Baton Rouge Louisiana State University Press 2007 I Think I Am Going to Call My Wife Paraguay Alexandria Virginia Orchises Press 2004 The Ha Ha Baton Rouge Louisiana State University Press 2003 The Travelling Library Alexandria Virginia Orchises Press 2001 The House of Blue Light Baton Rouge Louisiana State University Press 2000 My Twentieth Century Alexandria Virginia Orchises Press 1999 Big Leg Music Alexandria Virginia Orchises Press 1995 Saving the Young Men of Vienna Madison University of Wisconsin Press 1987 A Tall Woman with a Black Eye Kalliope a Journal of women s literature and art 1998 6 Literary criticism edit Ultra Talk Johnny Cash The Mafia Shakespeare Drum Music St Teresa of Avila and 17 Other Colossal Topics of Conversation University of Georgia Press 2007 What is a Book Athens Georgia University of Georgia Press 2002 Mark Strand and the Poet s Place in Contemporary Culture Columbia University of Missouri Press 1990 Writing Poetry Where Poems Come from and How to Write Them Boston The Writer Inc 1989 Biography edit Little Richard The Birth of Rock n Roll Continuum International Publishing Group 2009 Herman Melville New York Crossroad Continuum 1993 Recognition editIn his capacity both as poet and as professor Kirby has been the recipient of multiple awards and honors at the institutional state and national levels The Florida Arts Council awarded him four separate grants in 1983 2002 In 1985 he was awarded a grant by The National Endowment for the Arts and in 2003 he was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship In 2016 he won the Florida Humanities Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing 2 His poetry has also won the Brittingham Prize in Poetry 1987 and the Pushcart Prize XXV 2001 was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize International in 2004 and has been collected four times in The Best American Poetry 2000 2001 2006 2007 Kirby has also been repeatedly formally recognized for his work as an educator In 1990 2017 he repeatedly won competitive awards bestowed by Florida State University and the university s College of Arts and Sciences including being made Robert O Lawton Distinguished Professor in 2003 7 and receiving the FSU Distinguished Teacher Award in 2006 8 Billy Collins has stated that he considers Kirby one of the most engaging and original voices on the American poetry scene today claiming that he could recognize a Kirby poem on the page across a room just as he could recognize one of Emily Dickinson s 3 References edit Kirby David Jan 10 2021 David Kirby Why you should think like a poet Deseret News Archived from the original on 2021 01 11 a b c d e f David Kirby 2016 Lifetime Literary Award Winner Florida Humanities August 16 2016 Archived from the original on 2021 12 28 a b c d e f g h i MacQueen Steve Winter 2004 Sho Like to Ball FSU Research in Review Archived from the original on September 1 2006 a b Featured Poet David Kirby Birmingham Poetry Review 2021 Archived from the original on 2021 12 28 McNeese to Host Reading By Poet David Kirby McNeese State University Feb 20 2020 Archived from the original on 2020 07 28 Kirby David 1998 A Tall Woman with a Black Eye Kalliope 20 1 14 Robert O Lawton Distinguished Professor Award FSU Office of the Provost Archived from the original on 2018 04 09 Distinguished Teaching Award Recipients FSU Office of the Provost Archived from the original on 2018 04 10 External links editDavid Kirby s personal web site Archived 2007 02 18 at the Wayback Machine Florida State University Department of English website Griffin Poetry Prize biography Griffin Poetry Prize reading including video clip Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title David Kirby poet amp oldid 1078477958, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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