Paul Smyth (poet)
Encyclopedia
Paul Smyth was an American
poet, writer, and teacher.
and raised in Holliston, Massachusetts
. At the age of sixteen, he left home to hitchhike across the North America
. During this time, he spent time in Mexico
, the San Francisco Bay Area
, and Provincetown. It was in Massachusetts that he got his first writing job as a freelancer for the New Beacon Newspaper.
He studied in Harvard University
's extension program with poet Theodore Morrison.
He received his B.A. in 1968.
Smyth was married three times, the third time to the poet Gjertrud Schnackenberg
. He had two children from his second marriage.
and Bard College at Simon's Rock. Smyth eventually left academia after 10 years of teaching, and moved to Greece
for a year. During his time spent on the Islands of Aegina
and Crete
, he continued to write. In addition to poetry, he wrote two novels and a prose-poem memoir before moving back to New England
. Two of his books were illustrated by the artist Barry Moser
, and several of his poems have been set to music by his half brother, trumpeter/composer John D'earth
. He died in Charlottesville, Virginia, just after completing a book, A Plausible Light: New and Collected Poems.
, Atlantic Monthly, Beloit Poetry Journal, California Quarterly, Christian Science Monitor, Cyphers (Dublin), Kenyon Review, Lyric, Mississippi Review, Poetry, Sewanee Review
, and Shenandoah
, among others.
Conversions (University of Georgia Press, 1974)
The Cardinal Sins: A Bestiary (Pennyroyal Press, ill. Barry Moser, 1980)
Thistles and Thorns: Abraham and Sarah at Bethel (Abattoir Editions, University of Nebraska at Omaha, ill. Barry Moser, 1977)
Fifty Sonnets (Windy Row Press, 1973)
Shadowed Leaves (Press Porcepic, 1973)
Native Grass (Windy Row Press, 1972)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet, writer, and teacher.
Background
Paul Smyth was born in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and raised in Holliston, Massachusetts
Holliston, Massachusetts
Holliston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Greater Boston area. The population was 13,547 at the 2010 census. It is part of the region known as MetroWest. Holliston is the only town in Middlesex County that borders both Norfolk and Worcester...
. At the age of sixteen, he left home to hitchhike across the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. During this time, he spent time in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, and Provincetown. It was in Massachusetts that he got his first writing job as a freelancer for the New Beacon Newspaper.
He studied in Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's extension program with poet Theodore Morrison.
He received his B.A. in 1968.
Smyth was married three times, the third time to the poet Gjertrud Schnackenberg
Gjertrud Schnackenberg
Gjertrud Schnackenberg is an American poet.-Life:Schnackenberg graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1975. She lectured at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Washington University, and was Writer-in-Residence at Smith College and visiting fellow at St...
. He had two children from his second marriage.
Career
He taught writing and literature at Mount Holyoke CollegeMount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
and Bard College at Simon's Rock. Smyth eventually left academia after 10 years of teaching, and moved to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
for a year. During his time spent on the Islands of Aegina
Aegina
Aegina is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of Aeacus, who was born in and ruled the island. During ancient times, Aegina was a rival to Athens, the great sea power of the era.-Municipality:The municipality...
and Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, he continued to write. In addition to poetry, he wrote two novels and a prose-poem memoir before moving back to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. Two of his books were illustrated by the artist Barry Moser
Barry Moser
Barry Moser is a renowned artist, most famous as a printmaker and illustrator of numerous works of literature.Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1940, Moser studied at the Baylor School, Auburn University, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and did graduate work at the University of...
, and several of his poems have been set to music by his half brother, trumpeter/composer John D'earth
John D'earth
John D'earth is an American post bop/hard bop jazz trumpeter born in Holliston, Massachusetts has appeared on recordings by Dave Matthews and Bruce Hornsby as well as recording a number of CDs on his own. D'earth attended Harvard University briefly only to drop out and pursue his musical career....
. He died in Charlottesville, Virginia, just after completing a book, A Plausible Light: New and Collected Poems.
Publications
Smyth's poetry and writing were published in American ScholarThe American Scholar (magazine)
The American Scholar is the literary quarterly of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, founded in 1932. The magazine has won fourteen National Magazine Awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors from 1999 to present, including awards for General Excellence...
, Atlantic Monthly, Beloit Poetry Journal, California Quarterly, Christian Science Monitor, Cyphers (Dublin), Kenyon Review, Lyric, Mississippi Review, Poetry, Sewanee Review
Sewanee Review
The Sewanee Review is a literary journal established in 1892 and the oldest continuously published periodical of its kind in the United States. It incorporates original fiction and poetry, as well as essays, reviews, and literary criticism...
, and Shenandoah
Shenandoah (magazine)
Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee Review is a major literary magazine published by Washington and Lee University.- History :Originally a student-run quarterly, Shenandoah has evolved into a triannual literary journal edited by author R. T...
, among others.
Small Press Books
Plausible Light: New and Collected Poems (El Leon Literary Arts, 2008)Conversions (University of Georgia Press, 1974)
The Cardinal Sins: A Bestiary (Pennyroyal Press, ill. Barry Moser, 1980)
Thistles and Thorns: Abraham and Sarah at Bethel (Abattoir Editions, University of Nebraska at Omaha, ill. Barry Moser, 1977)
Fifty Sonnets (Windy Row Press, 1973)
Shadowed Leaves (Press Porcepic, 1973)
Native Grass (Windy Row Press, 1972)