Beginnings: How 14 Poets Got Their Start - Paperback

by Derek Alger (Author)

Each of the fourteen interviews in this collection tells the story of a poet's career, starting with origins that in many cases overcame unlikely beginnings and went on to fortunate educations with inspiring teachers who often became friends and colleagues, and in at least one case a spouse. Then onto publication, books, awards, and, for the majority, their own teaching careers to share their gifts with others in emulation of their own mentors. Each interview is followed by samples of the poet's work. Readers will have an opportunity to appreciate and admire the fourteen poets as people and as artists.

Author Biography

Derek Alger (18 Nov 1953-29 Oct 2014) was a graduate of the MFA fiction-writing program at Columbia University, a contributing cditor for Serving House Journal, a non-fiction editor at Ducts, and a former editor-at-large at Pif Magazine, where more than 100 of his interviews with writers have been published over a period of 14 years. His fiction and essays appear in Confrontation, Del Sol Review, Ducts.org, The Literary Review, and Writers Notes, among others.