Jack Elliott Myers was an American poet and educator. He was Texas Poet Laureate in 2003, and served on the faculty of Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...

 in Dallas, Texas for more than 30 years. He was director of creative writing at SMU from 2001 through 2009. Myers co-founded The Writer's Garret, a nonprofit literary center in Dallas, with his wife, Thea Temple. He published numerous books of and about poetry, and served as a mentor for aspiring writers at SMU and as part of the writers' community and mentoring project of The Writer's Garret.

Early life

Jack Myers was born in Lynn, Massachusetts

Lynn, Massachusetts

Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...

 to Jewish parents, Alvin G. and Ruth L. Myers, and developed an interest in writing and poetry at a young age. In his twenties he worked many odd jobs to support his self-directed study of poetry.

Early career

In 1968 Jack Myers married his first wife, Nancy Leppert, and a year later they had a son. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts

This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...

 in 1970. After finishing his degree, he moved his family to Iowa where he was accepted into the famed Iowa Writers Workshop. He became friends with his professor, Dick Hugo, whom he later honored with the Festschrift, A Trout in the Milk: a Composite Portrait of Richard Hugo, in 1980.

His second son was born in Iowa in 1972.

Later career

After obtaining his Masters of Fine Arts in Poetry Writing, Jack moved his family to Dallas, Texas, in 1975 when Jack was hired as an Assistant Professor of English at Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...

.

In 1981 Jack became a "Field Faculty" member of Vermont College, and in June of that year married his second wife, Willa Robins. This union produced two children.

In 1981 he also became the Program Chair of SMU's English Department and served on many committees. During this time he wrote hundreds of poems; edited anthologies; published The Longman Dictionary of Poetic Terms, a chapbook

Chapbook

A chapbook is a pocket-sized booklet. The term chap-book was formalized by bibliophiles of the 19th century, as a variety of ephemera , popular or folk literature. It includes many kinds of printed material such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales,...

, and two collections of poetry. One of these, As Long As You're Happy, won the 1985 National Poetry Series

National Poetry Series

The National Poetry Series is an American literary awards program.Every year since 1979 it has sponsored the publication of five books of poetry...

 (selected by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...

).

In 1993, Jack met his third wife, Thea Temple, at an AWP conference in Norfolk, Virginia. They were married six months later. This union led to a literary partnership and the most productive period of Jack's life, including the founding of the non-profit literary center, The Writer's Garrethttp://www.writersgarret.org, in Dallas, Texas.

Final Years

From 1993 until his death he published nine books about poetry, taught at six universities, chaired the board of The Writer's Garret, directed the creative writing program at SMU, appeared on radio and television talking about writing and poetry, edited magazines, and founded the Writers' Community and Mentorship Project (CAMP). He also won awards for his writing and teaching.

Jack was named the Poet Laureate for the State of Texas in 2003, and the City of Mesquite, Texas

Mesquite, Texas

Mesquite is a city located within the Dallas/Ft.Worth area of Texas. As of the 2010 US Census, the population was 139,824.-History:The city was founded May 22, 1873, by a Texas & Pacific Railway engineer who purchased land along the Texas & Pacific line outside of Dallas...

honored him with "Jack Myers Day."

Appearances

• KERA-radio, Think, w/Kris Boyd, for National Poetry Month, April, 2007.
• Arts & Letters Live, commissioned poem for multi-media event, April, 2007
• The Art of Living, a 26-part national TV series, New Leaf TV, a network devoted to healthy lifestyles
• KERA-radio, Glen Mitchell Show What Poetry Means to Dallas,” March 9, 2005
• Texas House of Rep.’s and Senate: Introducing resolution of 2003 Texas Poet Laureate (May/2003)
• ABC’s Wide World of Sports, “Fathers and Sons in Golf,” June 21, 2003
• Mesquite City Council, Proclamation of “Jack Myers Day,” June 2, 2003

Books

• The Memory of Water, New Issues Press, Spring 2011. A volume of poems.
• Routine Heaven, Texas Review Press, 2005. Volume of poems.
• The Poet’s Portable Workshop, Wadsworth/Thomson College Textbooks, 2004
• Dictionary of Poetic Terms, North Texas State University, 2003
• The Glowing River: New & Selected Poems, Invisible Cities Press, 2001
• OneOnOne, Autumn House Press, Pittsburgh, 1999. A volume of poems.
• Human Being, Rancho Loco Press, Dallas, 1998, a chapbook of poems.
• Leaning House Poets, Vol. 1, Leaning House Records, Dallas, 1996. A CD/anthology of works by seven nationally known poets, co-edited with Mark Elliott.
• Blindsided, David R. Godine, Inc., Boston, 1993. A volume of poems.
• New American Poets of the 90’s, David R. Godine, Inc., Boston, 1991. An anthology of contemporary poetry co-edited with Roger Weingarten (3rd printing)
• A Profile of Twentieth-Century American Poetry, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, 1991. A critical/aesthetic history co-edited with David Wojahn.
• As Long as You're Happy, Graywolf Press, Saint Paul, 1986.

Winner of the l985 National Poetry Series Open Competition (Selected by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney)

• The Longman Dictionary of Poetic Terms, Longman, Inc., NY, 1985. A reference work co-edited with Michael Simms (paperback edition, 1988). Revised Edition, 1995.
• New American Poets of the 80’s, Wampeter Press, Key West, 1984. An anthology of contemporary poetry co-edited with Roger Weingarten.
• Coming to the Surface, Trilobite Press, Denton, TX, 1984. A chapbook of poems.
• I'm Amazed That You're Still Singing, L'Epervier Press, Seattle, 1981. A full volume of poems.
• A Trout in the Milk: A Composite Portrait of Richard Hugo, Confluence Press, Lewiston, Idaho, 1980. Festschrift.
• The Family War, L'Epervier Press, Fort Collins, CO, 1977. A volume of poems. (1978 Texas Institute of Letters Award, finalist in Elliston small press Book award)
• Will It Burn, Falcon Publishing, Boston, 1974. Poems with photographs by David Akiba.
• Black Sun Abraxas, Halcyone Press, Boston, 1970. A book of poems.

Essays and Poems in Anthologies, Textbooks, and Recordings

• Breathe: 101 Contemporary Odes, Ryan Van Cleave and Chad Prevost, ed., C & R Press, 2008.
• The Weight of Addition: An Anthology of Texas Poetry (Mutabilis Press, Houston, 2008)
• A Student’s Texas Treasury of Verse, TCU Press, 2008.
• Joyful Noise: An Anthology of American Spiritual Poetry, ed., Robert Strong, Autumn House Press, 2007.
• Open Book: Essays From the Postgraduate Writers’ Conference, Featherstone & Weingarten, eds., Cambridge Scholars Press, UK, 2006
• Under the Rock Umbrella: Contemporary American Poets, 1951–1977, Wm. Walsh, ed., Mercer Univ. Press, 2006.
• The Autumn House Anthology of American Poems and Prayers, ed., Robert Strong, Autumn House Press, 2006.
• Manthology: Poems of the Male Experience, David R. Godine, 2006
• The Giant Book of Poetry, ed., William Roetzheim, Level Four Press, 2006
• 180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day, ed., Billy Collins, Random House, 2005
• Is This Forever or What?: Poems & Paintings from Texas (Greenwillow Press, 2004)
• Stand Up for Poetry: for the Page & the Stage, University of Iowa Press, 2002
• Poets of the New Century, David R. Godine, 2002
• Essential Love, ed., Ginny Lowe, Grayson Books, 2000.
• American Diaspora: Poetry of Exile, Univ of Iowa Press, 2000
• Clockpunchers: Poetry of America's Workplace, Partisan Press, 2000
• The Body Electric, W.W. Norton, 2000
• Poems and Their Sources, The Literary Review Press, 2000
• Who Are the Rich and Where Do They Live? , Poetry East Special Edition, 2000
• Best of American Poetry Review, New York: W.W. Norton, 2000.
• My Business Is Circumference: Influence & Mastery, Paul Dry Books, Philadelphia, 2000
• What Have You Lost? William Morrow, 2000
• Best Texas Poetry 2, Fire Wheel Editions, 1999
• Best Texas Poetry 1, Fire Wheel Editions, 1998
• Leaning House Poets I, CD/Anthology of poetry, (Leaning House Records, Dallas, 1996)
• Inheritance of Light, anthology, Univ. of North Texas Press, 1996
• Seneca Review 25-Year Retrospective, 1995
• Heartcore: Inspirations for Healthy Sexual Intimacy (Harper/Collins, 1996)
• Dog Music: A Poetry Anthology (St. Martins Press, 1996)
• Articulations: Contemporary Poetry About Medicine (Univ. of Iowa Press, 1995)
• Texas In Poetry: A 150 Year Anthology (Center for Texas Studies, 1994)
• Sports in America (Witness, Wayne State Univ. Press, 1995)
• Stand Up Poetry (Cal State Univ. press, Long Beach, 1993)
• The Art and Craft of Poetry (Writers' Digest/North Light Books, 1993)
• The Practice of Poetry (Harper Books, 1992)
• Celebrating Men (forthcoming poetry anthology)
• New American Poets of the 90’s (David R. Godine, 1992)
• The Texas Poetry Anthology (Corona Press, 1991)
• The Best of Crazy Horse (Univ of Arkansas, 1991)
• Anthology of Magazine Verse and Yearbook of American Poetry (Monitor Pub., 1985)
• New American Poets of the 80’s, (Wampeter Press, 1984)
• Ohio Review Ten-Year Retrospective (Ohio Univ. Press, 1984)
• The Poet's Choice: 100 American Poets (Tendril Press, 1980)
• Anthology of Magazine Verse and Yearbook of American Poetry (Monitor Pub., 1980)
• Voices Within the Ark: Modern Jewish Poets (Avon, 1980)
• Texas Poetry Anthology, 1979
• Texas Stories and Poems, 1977
• Travois, 1976
• The American Poetry Anthology: Poets Under 40 (Avon, 1975)
• Intro #4, 1972
• Anthology of College Poetry, 1964