Barton Sutter is a Duluth,
Minnesota-based writer of poetry and prose. His work reflects his love of the north country.
Early life
Barton Sutter is a Lutheran preacher's son and was raised in a large rural family. He received a B.A. in language arts from
Southwest State University in 1972 and an M.A. in creative writing from
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
in 1975. He moved to
Duluth, Minnesota in the 1980s, where he continued publishing and also began work as an English instructor at the
University of Minnesota Duluth. He then spent a number of years as a senior lecturer of English at the
University of Wisconsin-Superior
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
, retiring from that position in 2010. He occasionally appears as half of the artistic duo "The Sutter Brothers" with his brother, Ross Sutter, a folk musician. Sutter lives in Duluth with his wife and two daughters.
Career
Sutter was an essayist for the "Voices from the Heartland" series on
Minnesota Public Radio from 1991 to 1997. He has published poems, stories, and essays in such publications as ''The North American Review'', ''Poetry'', ''Live Music'', Minneapolis ''
Star Tribune
The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
'', and ''Minnesota Monthly''.
Sutter is the only author to win the
Minnesota Book Award in three separate categories: in fiction for ''My Father's War and Other Stories'', in creative non-fiction for ''Cold Comfort'', and in poetry with ''The Book of Names: New and Selected Poems.'' Sutter was also appointed Poet Laureate of Duluth, the first in Duluth history. He was unanimously chosen for the position by a committee set up by the Lake Superior Writers.
[http://www.lakesuperiorwriters.org Lake Superior Writers]
Works
* ''Cedarhome'' (1977)
* ''Pine Creek Parish Hall and Other Poems'' (1985)
* ''My Father's War and Other Stories'' (1991)
* ''The Book of Names: New and Selected Poems'' (1993)
* ''Cold Comfort: Life on the Top of the Map'' (1998)
* ''Farewell to the Starlight in Whiskey'' (2004)
* ''Chester Creek Ravine: Haiku'' (2015)
Awards
* Bassine Citation from the
Academy of American Poets, 1986
*
Loft McKnight Award in Poetry, 1987
* Minnesota Book Award for Fiction, 1992
* Minnesota Book Award for Poetry, 1994
*
Northeastern Minnesota Book Award The Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards, or the NEMBA Awards, are awards presented annually for books that "substantially represent northeastern Minnesota in the areas of history, culture, heritage, or lifestyle."
The awards, originally established ...
, 1999
*
Minnesota Book Award for Creative Non-Fiction, 1999
* George Morrison Artist Award, 2005
* Duluth Poet Laureate, 2006
References
External links
*Barton Sutter introduces authors Jon Hassler and Bill Holm a
A Special Duluth Get-togetherhonoring their two Afton Historical Society winter books, ''Underground Christmas'' and ''Faces of Christmas Past'', respectively, with readings, book talk and music, Northern Lights TV Series #416 (1998)
* Barton Sutter is interviewed by writer Joe Muldoon about his book of essays ''Cold Comfort'', and is featured reading his works with musical accompaniment by his brother Ross Sutter, Northern Lights TV Series #421 (1999):
https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll38:105#/kaltura_video*Barton Sutter is featured on A Tribute to Minnesota Poet John Engman, Northern Lights TV Series #428 (1999):
https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll38:107#/kaltura_video*Barton Sutter is featured on the 1999 Minnesota Book Awards Author Readings, Northern Lights TV Series #432 (1999):
https://reflections.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll38:208#/kaltura_video
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Writers from Duluth, Minnesota
American male poets
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Syracuse University alumni