Cydney W. "Cyd" Adams (1949–2005) was an American poet and academic. Adams portrayed his background as an East
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
farmer and his passion for hard physical labor into his writing. Adams had a masterly, elegant way of writing about the trials and tribulations of the common working man. His depictions of East Texas and its people earned him the title of Poet Laureate of East Texas in 2001, and many of his poems are acknowledged as some of the best poetry written in any language. Adams was also a professor of English and literature at his alma mater,
Stephen F. Austin State University in
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches ( ) is a small city in East Texas and the county seat of Nacogdoches County, Texas, United States. The 2020 U.S. census recorded the city's population at 32,147. Nacogdoches is a sister city of the smaller, similarly named Natchito ...
, for nearly 30 years. His passion for teaching and his friendships with many of his colleagues were also recurring themes in his work.
Much of Adams' work has been featured in literary magazines and in anthologies, and in the late 1990s, Adams began a creative partnership with his close friend and colleague
Charles Jones, an art professor at SFA. The partnership resulted in the book "
Blackjack Bull Pine and Post-Oak Glade." Some of his other books include "
On the Perimeter
On, on, or ON may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews
* ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin
* ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995
* ''On'' (Gary Glitter album), 2001
* ''On'' (Imperial Teen album), 20 ...
" and "
The Labor That a Man Takes
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
." All of his publications are included in the Oxford University Library.
In addition to writing, he was a woodcarver, sculptor, bricklayer, and a talented gardener and farmer.
Cyd Adams died in May 2005 in Nacogdoches. He is buried in Harmony Hill Cemetery in Rusk County, Texas, where his monument is engraved with his own epitaph.
One of Adams' best-known poems is sometimes titled either “July Wall Poem” or “Mason’s Man” and is a tribute to his father, W.T. Adams.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Cyd
1949 births
2005 deaths
21st-century American poets
Stephen F. Austin State University alumni
20th-century American poets
Poets from Texas