Kevin McGowin (1970 in
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
– January 18, 2005 in Birmingham) was an American writer, college teacher and
typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...
enthusiast. Holding degrees in literature from
Auburn University at Montgomery
Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) is a public university in Montgomery, Alabama. Established by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1967, it is governed by the Auburn University Board of Trustees as a member of the Auburn University syste ...
and the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
, he taught literature and creative writing, moving from one college to another quite often, before he decided to become a full-time writer. He lived in Birmingham,
Micanopy
Micanopy (c. 1780 – December 1848 or January 1849), also known as Micco-Nuppe, Michenopah, Miccanopa, and Mico-an-opa, and Sint-chakkee ("pond frequenter", as he was known prior to being selected as chief), was the leading chief of the Sem ...
,
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Raleigh
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
,
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, New York City,
, and then back in his native Birmingham, where he died in a tragic accident, choking on food.
He was first noticed as a poet, with such collections as ''Bogus Pastimes'' (1993), ''Wild Afflictions'' (1994), and ''The Better Part of a Fortnight'' (1999).
Initially his fiction was published online, notably the three novels known as "The Benny Poda Trilogy": ''The Benny Poda Years'' (2001), ''Town Full of Hoors'' (2001) and ''What God Has Joined Together'' (2002), all written and posted "a chapter a day". The trilogy is his only major work of fiction published in print. His last novel, ''Flies in the Buttermilk'', was serialized online in 2003–2004. All these are social satires, with some elements of
supernatural
Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...
and
macabre
In works of art, the adjective macabre ( or ; ) means "having the quality of having a grim or ghastly atmosphere". The macabre works to emphasize the details and symbols of death. The term also refers to works particularly gruesome in natu ...
, spiced up with a considerable amount of strong language. McGowin showed a more lyrical side in his short stories, to be found on various websites online; ''Slender Accidents'' (2004) being a major collection of vignettes.
Kevin McGowin was a noted
reviewer
A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indi ...
, contributing for years to
Oyster Boy Review
Oyster is the common name for a number of different families of salt-water bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackish habitats. In some species, the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not ...
magazine and
Eclectica Magazine
''Eclectica Magazine'' is one of the oldest surviving online literary publications.
History and profile
Founded in 1996 by Chris Lott and Tom Dooley, ''Eclectica'' extensive and growing archives contain poetry, fiction, non-fiction, miscellany, t ...
, where he was appointed Reviews Editor in 2003.
He also recorded a CD of original folk songs entitled ''Love & Pity'' (A Priori, 2000).
Kevin McGowin
Directory of Writers. Retrieved September 30, 2009.
References
External links
The Benny Poda Trilogy
Oyster Boy Review 19, Fall 2010, Retrieved July 7, 2015.
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGowin, Kevin
1970 births
2005 deaths
21st-century American novelists
American male novelists
Writers from Birmingham, Alabama
Auburn University at Montgomery alumni
University of Florida alumni
20th-century American novelists
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers
Novelists from Alabama