A welcome challenge for Drury’s Poet Laureate

Hi everyone,

At the invitation of JOHN BEUERLEIN, Interim President of Drury University, I have agreed to write and present a poem on May 11 dedicated to the graduating class of 2024. The Honorable Roy Blunt, former U.S. Senator from Missouri (2011-2023, U.S. Congressman from Missouri (1997-2011), President of Southwest Baptist University (1992-1996, and Missouri Secretary of State (1985-1993) will give the commencement address. Blunt’s son, Governor MATT BLUNT (2005-2009, created the post of Missouri Poet Laureate.

The only other commencement ceremony I’ve participated in (other than my own in 1959) was in 2008, when I gave the commencement talk and received an honorary doctorate of letters. This Drury class is graduating during the university’s 150th anniversary celebration, a distinction they can remember with pride. I must do my best to do them, and the occasion, the honor they deserve.

What does a university poet laureate do?

Hi everyone,

Tomorrow I have a meeting to discuss my page on Drury University’s website. I’ve had one for years but it can be hard to find and I think it’s time to update and perhaps reinvent it. I’ve been privileged to serve Drury (my alma mater) as its poet laureate since 1982 under presidents John Moore, Todd Parnell, David Manuel, and John Beuerlein. Tomorrow’s meeting will call for an examination of the position and what might be expected of the person who holds that post.

Over the years, I’ve visited classes in the schools of Education and English, given presentations in Olin Library to general audiences, co-authored a book (with CDs and a teachers’ guide) on how to write, given presentations to visiting local classes of elementary, middle, and high school students that were also streamed live to numerous other schools in Missouri and beyond, given convocation talks, and named Drury as my affiliated school on more than a dozen of my co-authored books for classroom teachers. Most recently I read for the first time in public the poem I wrote about Missouri shortly after being named as the 7th Missouri Poet Laureate.

I’m honored when asked to speak to students or faculty at Drury, but it seems to me that my chief priority is to represent the school to the public in ways that connect with literacy in general and poetry in particular. I look forward to tomorrow’s talk and to those that will follow as we perfect my job description along with the renovated web page. The floor is open for discussion and I invite you to make your own suggestions about what I might do as we look forward. Thank you.

I’m in the Drury Magazine

NOTE: Su Hutchens asked if I could post a link to this issue of Drury Magazine. I asked Rex Ybanez and he provided the following.

“This is what you want: https://www.drury.edu/mc/drury-magazine/ It’s going to show up at the top left-hand corner of the past issues further down the page.” Click on the picture and it takes you to the whole issue. You can scroll through by clicking on the arrows to right and left of the pages.

Hi everyone,

Over the weekend my alum copy of Drury Magazine arrived and I was delighted to see a 4-page article about me in it. The magazine is published for alumni and friends of the university twice each year. The title of this issue is “Drury University, Grand Be Thy Destiny” to mark the ongoing celebration of Drury’s 150th anniversary (1873–2023).

I’m grateful to Drury’s Writer & Editor, REX YBANEZ for proposing the article and writing it. He includes the poem I wrote 40 years ago for then-president, JOHN MOORE that prompted Dr. Moore to create the university’s first poet laureate post and name me to it. The article also includes the Missouri poem that I wrote as one of my duties as Missouri’s poet laureate. I was honored to read the poem recently in Drury’s famed Stone Chapel at another celebratory event.

More recently, as I have written here, it was my pleasure to accept Drury’s Interim President, JOHN BEUERLEIN, to remain at my post as Drury University Poet Laureate.

A terrific day

Hi everyone,

Today from noon – 1:00 p.m. I’ll be at Drury University in the Harwood Room in the Olin Library. The event is being hosted by Professor JO VAN ARKEL and her Poetry I and II students. An invitation was extended to the Drury community so perhaps others will attend. I would like that.

This is my first opportunity to do something since I accepted President JOHN BEUERLEIN’s invitation to resume duties as the university’s poet laureate. Today I will be reading from my work and answering questions about my writing life. Students will read poems for children from their semester’s work. I expect the hour to pass easily.

Later in the afternoon, SANDY and I will drive to Mansfield, Missouri to meet with our friend and noted author BILL ANDERSON. This evening Bill is receiving the Laura Ingalls Wilder Children’s Literature Award and I’ll have the honor and pleasure of introducing him.

I don’t expect to get much writing done today, but it’s going to be a terrific day.

Drury Poet Laureate

Hi everyone,

I’ve received a letter from Interim President of Drury University, JOHN BEUERLEIN, asking me to resume my post of Drury Poet Laureate. I was first appointed to that position in 1983 by then president JOHN MOORE (1983-2004). With each incoming president who followed, I tendered my resignation but was asked to continue to serve. That included presidents JOHN SELLERS (2005-2007), TODD PARNELL (2007-2013), and DAVID MANUEL (2013-2016). TIMOTHY CLOYD, (2016-2023) found no use for my services but never accepted my letter of resignation.

At the request of John Beuerlein, I will resume the post and there will be no recorded break in service since 1983. I’m delighted to accept this invitation and look forward to becoming more active again in the Drury community. I look forward to an upcoming meeting to take a re-energized look at the position and discuss ways in which I can serve my alma mater.

In the past, I’ve given presentations to visiting elementary, middle school, and high school students who were brought to campus for the programs, co-written a book about writing (which included a series of CDs and a teacher workbook) with Drury Professor of Education, LAUEN EDMONDSON, visited Drury English classes, conducted a two-day workshop on writing for children, created and hosted a program called Family Voices to encourage early literacy, was listed as an adjunct faculty member, and listed my affiliation with Drury in at least a dozen professional books and a number of presentations given at national conferences for teachers and librarians. There once was a spot about me on the Drury web. I don’t know if it’s still there.