Marvin Bell

Marvin Bell is the author of eighteen books of poetry, including Rampant ; Nightworks: Poems, 1962-2000; Ardor: The Book of the Dead Man, Volume 2 ; A Marvin Bell Reader: Selected Poetry and Prose; The Book of the Dead Man; Iris of Creation; New and Selected Poems; Stars Which See, Stars Which Do Not See (1977), which was a finalist for the National Book Award; A Probable Volume of Dreams (1969), which was a Lamont Poetry Selection of The Academy of American Poets; and Things We Dreamt We Died For. His most recent volume of poetry is titled Mars Being Red. He has also published Old Snow Just Melting: Essays and Interviews.

Bell's work appears in hundreds of anthologies of poetry and essays. His honors include the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature, Guggenheim and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, and Senior Fulbright appointments to Yugoslavia and Australia. A long time member of the faculty of the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop where he is the Flannery O'Connor Professor of Letters, in March 2000 he was named Iowa's first Poet Laureate. One of the most important teachers of writing in the country, his students number among some of the best known writers in America. He is the creator of a unique form, the "Dead Man" poem, and has written widely on poetry and poetics. He lives in Iowa City and Port Townsend.

For more on Marvin Bell, see The Poetry Kit Interviews Marvin Bell, and audio and video recordings of his readings at the Counter Balance poetry Web site.

Meacham Readings