Shelby Stephenson (born June 14, 1938) is an American poet. On December 22, 2014, he was named by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Pat McCrory Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...

as the ninth

North Carolina Poet Laureate The North Carolina Poet Laureate is the poet laureate for the US state of North Carolina. At first a life appointment, the term of office is now two years. The program is run by the North Carolina Arts Council. Laureates are appointed by the Governo ...

, a position he is set to hold from 2014 to 2016.

Biography

Stephenson was born in

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

, Johnston County,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

to Maytle and Paul Stephenson in 1938, and lived for fourteen years with his parents and three older siblings Paul, Marshall, and Rose Stephenson in a rural farmhouse known as "Plankhouse." In 1952, the Stephensons moved to a new house, and Shelby graduated from high school in 1956; he earned his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 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 ...

in 1960, his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

in 1967, and his

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...

from the

University of Wisconsin 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 ...

in 1974. He met his wife, Linda Letchworth "Nin" Wilson, on a blind date in 1963, and the two married in 1966. He moved back to North Carolina in the 1970s and went on to become a teacher, serving as the English department chair at

Campbell College Campbell College located in Belfast, Northern Ireland and founded in 1894 comprises a preparatory school department (junior age) and a senior Northern Ireland 'Voluntary Grammar' school, the latter meaning, in terms of provision of education, a ...

from 1974 to 1978 before becoming a professor of English at the

University of North Carolina at Pembroke The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP or UNC Pembroke) is a public university in Pembroke, North Carolina. UNC Pembroke is a master's level degree-granting university and part of the University of North Carolina system. Its history i ...

and the editor of ''Pembroke Magazine'' from 1978 until retiring in 2010. From 2004 to 2005, he was the Gilbert-Chappell Distinguished Poet. He currently lives with his

Norwich Terrier The Norwich Terrier is a breed of dog originating in the United Kingdom, and was bred to hunt small rodents. With a friendly personality, Norwich Terriers are today mostly a companion dog breed. One of the smallest terriers, these dogs are gen ...

named Cricket, while his ailing wife lives in an extended care facility in Smithfield. In October 2014, Stephenson was inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame, along with

Betty Adcock Elizabeth "Betty" Sharp Adcock (born September 16, 1938) is an American poet and a 2002–2003 Guggenheim Fellow. Author of six poetry collections, she has served as a faculty member in the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers in Ashe ...

, Ronald H. Bayes, and

Jaki Shelton Green Jaki Shelton Green is an Poetry of the United States, American poet. In November 2009, she was named the first Piedmont Laureate by a collection of Research Triangle, Triangle-area arts councils. She currently resides in Mebane, North Carolina. Gr ...

. He was later installed as the state's new poet laureate on February 2, 2015, in a ceremony at the

State Capitol This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...

with

Cultural Resources A heritage asset is an item that has value because of its contribution to a nation’s society, knowledge and/or culture. They are usually physical assets, but some countries also use the term in relation to intangible social and spiritual inheritan ...

Secretary Susan Kluttz, and Wayne Martin, Executive Director of the

North Carolina Arts Council The North Carolina Arts Council is an organization in the U.S. state of North Carolina that provides grants to artists, musicians and arts organizations. The group's mission is "arts for all people." It was founded by executive order in 1964 by Gov ...

. Stephenson hopes to pursue three projects during his tenure as state laureate: holding writing workshops in assisted living and retirement communities, raising awareness of local archives and family histories, and promoting writings about farming and farm life in North Carolina.

Poet Laureate

Following the controversy surrounding the appointment of former state Laureate Valerie Macon, Governor McCrory said: "I've learned my lesson. It's been a learning process for me, too." Secretary Kluttz said: "I am thrilled at the choice of Shelby Stephenson as North Carolina's poet laureate," said Susan Kluttz, secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. "He received many strong nominations, backed up by his impressive resume. He is a wonderful representative of the outstanding poets that flourish in our state. I look forward to working with him in the coming years." Former Poet Laureate

Kathryn Stripling Byer Kathryn Stripling Byer (November 25, 1944 – June 5, 2017), also called Kay Byer, was an American poet and teacher. She was named by Governor Mike Easley as the fifth North Carolina Poet Laureate from 2005 to 2009. She was the first woman to hol ...

also said: "He's just good, both as a person and as a poet. ... His poetic voice just flows like a spring. He's a natural and we really need a voice like his right now with all the divisions we have in this state", adding that "the choice is brilliant, and I am rejoicing in the news. Shelby is a longtime friend, a powerful voice in North Carolina literature. A singer, an old-time raconteur, a poet attuned to the rhythms of our state and its people. I offer my joyful congratulations to one of our state's literary treasures. This is a splendid Christmas gift to North Carolinians, all of us. And for those who keep saying they don't like poetry, just wait till you hear Shelby. You will change your mind in a flash."

Bibliography

Stephenson published his first poem, "Whales Are Hard to See," in the ''Davidson Miscellany'' 1973.

Poetry

* ''Middle Creek Poems'' (1979) * ''Carolina Shout!'' (1985) * ''Finch's Mash'' (1990) * ''Plankhouse'' (1993) * ''Poor People'' (1998) * ''Fiddledeedee'' (2001) * ''The Persimmon Tree Carol'' (2002) * ''Possum'' (2004) * ''Family Matters: Home to July, the Slave Girl'' (2008) – winner of the 2008 Bellday Poetry Prize * ''Playing Dead'' (2011) * ''Country''(2018) http://www.theblackmountainpress.com

Music

* ''Hank Williams Tribute'' * ''Sing the Old Songs'' (2004) * ''When Country Was Country'' (2007) * ''Sing Don Gibson'' (2012)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Shelby Poets Laureate of North Carolina Poets from North Carolina Living people 1938 births People from Benson, North Carolina University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni University of Pittsburgh alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni