About
An American poet and fiction writer, he is known for such works as Blacksnake at the Family Reunion (2012) and The Story of a Million Years (1999). His poetry collections include Stopping by Home (1988) and Summer Lake (1999).
Before Fame
He served in the U.S. Army during the 1960s. Later, he taught creative writing at both the University of Vermont and Middlebury College.
Trivia
He received two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and published his essays, stories, and poems in Esquire, The New Yorker, and other prominent magazines.
Family Life
Born in Wythe County, Virginia, he is sometimes considered an Appalachian writer.
Associated With
He and Mary McCarthy both contributed to Harper's Magazine.
