Poets
Brinkman, Michael W.
February 23, 1943 -
Place of Birth: Milwaukee, WI
Place of Principal Residence: Alpena, MI
Biography:
Michael W. Brinkman was born to John and Phyllis Brinkman in Milwaukee, WI on February 23, 1943. As soon as he earned his Bachelor’s degree at Indiana State University, Brinkman began teaching. He taught Latin at Dryer Center High School, taught at Merriville High School, taught psychology, world religion, and general business in Alpena public schools. Knowing and teaching Latin fostered his love for words and sentence structures; his interests in psychology and religion provided insight into the life of the mind. Poetry combined these two loves: words and introspection. He published several works (Poetry for Peoples and Verse Diverse) before furthering his own education, earning a Master’s degree from St. Mary’s College and a PhD from the University of Michigan. Though Brinkman transitioned from the world of teaching in 1972 to act as president of Brinkman Enterprises, his work with young people continued as he and his wife Lois raised their five daughters and one son. He and Lois currently live in Alpena, MI.
Selected Works:
- Poetry for Peoples (1970)
- Verse Diverse (1973)
- In Pursuit of the Tuit (1976)
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Brinkman’s experience as a teacher has greatly influenced his writing. It is evident from the titles of Brinkman’s work that he greatly enjoys his occupation. Books such as Poetry for Peoples, The Wordsmith, and My Own Busy Bee Book betray the author’s bent for poetry and instruction. He says, “I write poetry because I’m a poet, I am a lover—a lover of mankind in general and individuals specifically…I want my readers to disclose themselves first and foremost; to be honest with themselves…”
Eshleman, Clayton
June 1, 1935 -
Place of Birth: Indianapolis, IN
Place of Principle Residence: Ypsilanti, MI
Biography:
Clayton Eshleman was born to Gladys and Clayton Eshleman in 1935 in Indianapolis, IN. He attended Indiana University and received his BA in philosophy in 1958 and M.A.T. in Creative Writing in 1961. He was an instructor in English for a year before moving to Kobe, Japan as an English language and writing instructor for Matsushita Electric Corporation. In 1966 he moved to New York City as an instructor at the American Language Institute and as a publisher and editor for Caterpillar books and Caterpillar magazine. Eshleman became founder and editor of Sulfur magazine in 1981. Starting in the 1970s Eshleman traveled around the country as a visiting professor and poet in residence. In 1986 he moved to Eastern Michigan University as a Professor of English. Eshleman is a known translator, winning the National Book Award in 1979 for his co-translaton of Cesar Vallejo’s Complete Posthumous Poem. In addition to being the main American tranlator of Cesar Vallejo, Eshleman has also translated books by Antonin Arlaudi and Bernard Bador, among others. Eshleman has made frequent trips with his wife, Caryl, to France to study Ice Age Cave Art and finished his research in the 1990s with publishing his findings in his book, Juniper Fuse. He has one son, Matthew, by his first wife Barbara Novak.
Selected Works:
Poetry:
- Cantaloups and Splendour (1968)
- Under World Arrest (1994)
- Archaic Design (2007)
Prose:
- Companion Spider (2002)
Translation:
- The Collected Poetry by Aimé Césaire (1984)
- The Complete Poetry of César Vallejo (2007)
Awards:
- 1968 Poetry Magazine Award for “Five Poems”
- 1977 Carnegie Author’s Fund Award
- 1978 Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry for research on Upper Paleolitic Cave Art
- 1989 Distinguished Faculty Research/Creativity Award, Eastern Michigan University
- 1992 Michigan Artists Award, Arts Foundation of Michigan
- 2002 Landon Translation Prize, Academy of American Poets, for “Trilce”
- 2002 Sabio Award for Excellent in Literary Translation, San Diego State University
Critical Reception:
“This [The Complete Poetry, César Vallejo] is a crucially important translation of one of the poetic geniuses of the twentieth century.”
- William Rowe, author of Poets of Contemporary Latin America: History and the Inner Life.
“Sulfur must be the most important literary magazine which has explored and extended the boundaries of poetry. Clayton Eshleman has had a nose for smelling out what was going to happen next in the ceaseless evolution of the art.”
- James Laughlin, New Directions Books.
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Eshleman is a Professor of English at Eastern Michigan University.
Freisinger, Randall R.
February 6, 1942—
Place of Birth: Kansas City, Missouri
Place of Principal Residence: Houghton, MI
Biography
Randall Freisinger was born to Winifred and Earl Freisinger in Kansas City, Missouri on February 6, 1942. He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia between 1959-1975, earning his BJ, MA, and PhD in English Literature. Ever since 1972, Freisinger has taught at Michigan Tech University, and today serves as a Professor of Rhetoric, Literature, and Creative Writing. In addition to teaching, he is the Associate Editor for Laurel Review. His poems have been and continue to be published in many literary magazines, and in 1997 published a book-length manuscript of poems, Plato’s Breath, which won the 1996 May Swenson Poetry Award. Freisinger lives with his wife, Jill, and his two stepsons, Ian and Quentin, in Houghton, Michigan.
Selected Works
Plato’s Breath (1997)
Awards
1975 Flume Press National Chapbook Award
1996 May Swenson Poetry Prize for Plato’s Breath
n/a Nominated for Pushcart Prize (four times)
Critical Reception
For Plato’s Breath:
[Freisinger’s] poems are funny, sad, light, dark, hopeful, grim, and quite often all of these at once. Don’t overlook this book.
The Missouri Review
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work
Freisinger teaches Humanities at Michigan Tech University, where he helps students develop a deeper appreciation for literature and creativity.
Gildner, Gary
August 22, 1938 –
Place of Birth: West Branch, MI
Place of Principle Residence: Grangeville, ID
Biography:
Gary Gildner was born to Jean and Theodore in 1938 in West Branch, MI. He attended Michigan State University, receiving his B.A. in 1960 and his M.A. in 1961. Gildner worked as an instructor at Northern Michigan University, a Professor of English at Drake University and a McGee Professor of Writing at Davidson College. In addition he has been a Fulbright Lecturer both at the University of Warsaw and in Poland and Czechoslovakia, as well as a writer in residence at Michigan State University and a distinguished visiting writer at Seattle University. He is best known for his eight books of poetry, with The Bunker in Parsley Fields winning the Iowa Poetry Prize. Gildner has lectured at the Library of Congress, the Academy of American Poets, and the Manhattan Theatre club, as well as approximately three hundred colleges and schools in the U.S. and abroad. His awards include Pushcart Prizes in fiction and nonfiction, a Robert Frost Fellowship, and the William Carlos Williams and Theodore Roethke poetry prizes. Gildner lives with his family in Grangeville, Idaho.
Selected Works:
- Clackamas (1991)
- Jabon (1981)
- The Runner (1978)
- Bredahl (1973)
- The Bunker in the Parsley Fields (1997)
Awards:
- 1970 Robert Frost Fellowship, Bread Loaf
- 1971, 1976 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships
- 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1978 Yaddo Fellow
- 1974 MacDowell Colony Fellow
- 1976 Theodore Roethke Poetry Prize, Poetry Northwest
- 1977 William Carlos Williams Poetry Prize, New Letters
- 1979 Helen Bullis Poetry Prize, Poetry Northwest
- 1986 National Magazine Award for Fiction
- 1986 Pushcart Prize for Fiction
- 1985, 1986, 1988 Stories cited in The Best American Short Stories
- 1996 Iowa Poetry Prize for Bunker in the Parsley Fields
Critical Reception:
“His characters are aware of being alive, and when we read Gary Gildner, we are, too.”
—Richard Goodman, The New York Times
“Gary Gildner makes everything seem so right, as if telling it just the way it happened.”
—National Public Radio
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Gildner achieved his B.A. and M.A. at Michigan State University, and there worked briefly as a visiting writer in residence.
Harrison, Jim (James Thomas)
Dec. 11, 1937 –
Place of Birth: Grayling, MI
Place of Principle Residence: summer – Livingston, MT : winter – Patagonia, AZ
Bibliography:
Jim Harrison grew up roaming the woods in northern Michigan with his parents Winfield (a county agricultural agent) and Norma. At age seven his left eye was blinded by a piece of glass, an event he now attributes to his desire to stay outdoors in nature as a form of comfort. When a young man, Harrison set off to make his own way in the world, as his family was financially strained with five children. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University in 1960 and married his wife, Linda, with whom he has been with for over forty years. In 1964 Harrison got his Master’s at State University of New York. He worked as an assistant professor in English in 1965, but quickly concluded he was “temperamentally unsuited” to teaching. In 1966 Harrison moves back with his wife and newborn daughter to northern Michigan and supported his family through freelance journalism and manual labor. Eventually, his poetry brought him to the attention of major reviewers that in turn led to the release of his first book, Wolf, in 1971. Although his book Farmer, published in 1976, did not initially enjoy much success, his subsequent trilogy Legends of the Fall was a great commercial success and was later made into a film. Harrison also works as an artist, and in addition has taken up screenwriting. Critics have noted Harrison’s desire to preserve the South and rural America both in his art and writing. Harrison recently moved from his northern Michigan home and now spends his summers in Minnesota and his winters in Arizona.
Selected Works:
- Plain Song (1965)
- Out of the War Shadow: an Anthology of Current Poetry (1967)
- Locations (1968)
- Un Bon Jour pour Mourir (1973)
- Sundog : The Story of an American Foreman, Robert Corvus Strang (1984)
- Julip (1994)
- The Beast God Forgot to Invent (2000)
- True North (2004)
Awards
- 1967-1969 National Endowment for the Arts Grants
- 1969-1970 Guggenheim fellowship
- 2007 Michigan Notable Book Award for Saving Daylight
- Two awards from National Literary Anthology
Critical reception:
New York Times has praised Wolf: A False Memoir as “…a raunchy, funny, swaggering, angry, cocksure book; it is also a poignant, handsomely-written self-exploration…” Harrion’s book Legends of the Fall has enjoyed particular attention, being made into a movie starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. True North has received mixed reviews, but Gordon Hauptfleisch (editor of Blogcritics Books and book reviewer for San Diego Union Tribune) wrote, “still, if Harrison’s newest work is flawed an uneven, it is nevertheless a rich and satisfying read for the strenuously poetic passages detailing not only the complexities, quirks, and intricacies of human emotions and interactions, but also for conveying a solid sense of place.”
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Growing up in northern Michigan has been strongly attributed by Harrison to influencing his writing. As a child he enjoyed hunting and fishing and spent many days roaming the woods. This is clearly represented in much of his writing is rural in nature. In addition, Harrison has developed a strong love of the South and rural America. While living in northern Michigan as an adult, Harrison wrote in an old granary on his property. His love for nature has never faded.