David Clewell (February 11, 1955 – February 15, 2020) was an American

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wr ...

and creative writing instructor at

Webster University Webster University is a private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, Missouri. It has multiple branch locations across the United States and countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. It offers undergraduate and graduate program ...

. From 2010–2012, he served as the Poet Laureate of Missouri.

Life

Clewell was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1955 and attended Highland Park High School, in nearby Highland Park, where he first developed an interest in poetry. He graduated from

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

with a B.A. in English. In 1979, he moved to

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, whic ...

and earned an M.F.A. in writing from

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University i ...

. In 1985, Clewell began teaching in the English Department at Webster University. A year later, he started the Webster University Visiting Writers Series, which he still coordinated until his death. As an instructor at Webster University, Clewell taught courses on 19th- and 20th-century literature, as well as poetry workshops and seminars. In 2010, Missouri Governor

Jay Nixon Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon (born February 13, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 55th Governor of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the governorship in 2008 and reele ...

noted that Clewell "has a unique perspective on contemporary American life and the characters and ideas that loom large in our recent history." Clewell is the author of 10 poetry collections and his work has appeared in over 50 journals and magazines, including '' Harper's'', ''

Poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings ...

'', ''

The Kenyon Review ''The Kenyon Review'' is a literary magazine based in Gambier, Ohio, United States, US, home of Kenyon College. ''The Review'' was founded in 1939 by John Crowe Ransom, critic and professor of English at Kenyon College, who served as its editor ...

'', ''

The Missouri Review ''The Missouri Review'' is a literary magazine founded in 1978 by the University of Missouri. It publishes fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction quarterly. With its open submission policy, ''The Missouri Review'' receives 12,000 manuscripts ...

'', ''

The Georgia Review ''The Georgia Review'' is a literary journal based in Athens, Georgia. Founded at University of Georgia in 1947, the journal features poetry, fiction, essays, book reviews, and visual art. The journal has won National Magazine Awards for Fiction ...

'', ''Ontario Review'', '' New Letters'', and ''

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...

''. He has been nominated for the

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors ar ...

for poetry seven times. He was the poet laureate for the state of

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, serving until 2012. He passed the poetic torch to Will Trowbridge."Gov. Nixon appoints David Clewell Poet Laureate of Missouri"
(2010). Office of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon. Retrieved October 23, 2012. He lived in

Webster Groves, Missouri Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census. The city is home to the main campus of Webster University. Geography Webster Groves is located at ...

with his wife Patricia."About David Clewell"
(2010). StlToday.com. Retrieved October 23, 2012.

Awards

* Pollak Poetry Prize for ''Now We're Getting Somewhere'' * Lavan Poetry Prize from the

Academy of American Poets The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York (state), New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetr ...

* 1989

National Poetry Series The National Poetry Series is an American literary awards program. Every year since 1979, the National Poetry Series has sponsored the publication of five books of poetry. Manuscripts are solicited through an annual open competition, judged and ch ...

, for ''Blessings in Disguise'' *2017 Lifetime Achievement in the Arts from the Webster Groves (MO) Arts Commission

Works

Poems

"from Jack Ruby's America", ''Word Virtual'', 1999

Poetry collections

* * * * * * *

Anthologies

* * * *

References

External links

"DAVID CLEWELL", ''Poetry Dispatch'', No. 263, December 31, 2008"Words That Matter: David Clewell", ''Playback'', Kyle Beachy, 16 December 2005"Huetato Warrior", ''YouTube'', David Clewell and Benjamin Clewell, 07 November 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clewell, David American male poets Poets from New Jersey 1955 births 2020 deaths Highland Park High School (New Jersey) alumni People from Highland Park, New Jersey Poets Laureate of Missouri Webster University faculty Writers from New Brunswick, New Jersey People from Webster Groves, Missouri Washington University in St. Louis alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni 20th-century American poets 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American poets 21st-century American male writers