Stephen J. Dobyns (born February 19, 1941) is an American
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...
and
novelist
A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...
born in
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 30,134, reflecting a decline of 2,734 (−8.3%) from the 32,868 counted in 2000.
Orange was original ...
.
Life
Dobyns was born on February 19, 1941 in Orange, New Jersey to Lester L., an Episcopal minister, and Barbara Johnston Dobyns. Dobyns was raised in New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. He was educated at
Shimer College
Shimer Great Books School (pronounced ) is a Great Books college that is part of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Prior to 2017, Shimer was an independent, accredited college on the south side of Chicago, with a history of being ...
, transferred to and graduated from
Wayne State University
Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...
in 1964, and received an
MFA from the
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a celebrated graduate-level creative writing program in the United States. The writer Lan Samantha Chang is its director. Graduates earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative W ...
at the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
in 1967. He has worked as a reporter for the ''
Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...
''.
He has taught at various academic institutions, including
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Supervision system, Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sara ...
, the
Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers
Warren Wilson College (WWC) is a private liberal arts college in Swannanoa, North Carolina. It is known for its curriculum that combines academics, work, and service as every student must complete a requisite course of study, work an on-campus j ...
, the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
,
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 ...
, and
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...
.
In 1995, as a professor of English at
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 ...
, he was accused of
sexual harassment
Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
after an incident in which he also threw a drink at his accuser and made a rude remark about her in front of numerous witnesses. Syracuse University suspended him for two years, after which he resigned.
Francine Prose
Francine Prose (born April 1, 1947) is an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and critic. She is a visiting professor of literature at Bard College, and was formerly president of PEN American Center.
Life and career
Born in Brookl ...
however defended him—as did university professor/writers Tobias Wolff, Hayden Carruth, and Agha Shahid Ali.
Works
Dobyns has written twenty-four novels in a variety of genres, as well as fourteen poetry collections and two non-fiction works about the craft of poetry.
In much of his work, Dobyns uses the ridiculous and the absurd as vehicles to introduce more profound meditations on life, love, and art. His journalistic training has strongly informed this voice.
His poetry has won numerous accolades, including a
Lamont Poetry Selection
The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetry through outreach ...
(''Concurring Beasts''), a
National Poetry Series The National Poetry Series is an American literary awards program.
Every year since 1979, the National Poetry Series has sponsored the publication of five books of poetry. Manuscripts are solicited through an annual open competition, judged and cho ...
selection (''Black Dog, Red Dog''), and a Melville Cane Award (''Cemetery Nights'').
His novel ''Cold Dog Soup'' has been made into two films, the American ''
Cold Dog Soup'' and the French ''Doggy Bag''. ''Two Deaths of Señora Puccini'' has been made into the film ''
Two Deaths
''Two Deaths'' is a 1995 British drama film directed by Nicolas Roeg and starring Michael Gambon, Sônia Braga, and Patrick Malahide. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1995 before having a wider release in 1996.
...
''. The movie ''Wild Turkey'' is based on one of his short stories.
Dobyns has written many detective stories about a private detective named Charlie Bradshaw who works out of
Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...
in upstate New York. Bradshaw is unusual as a private eye protagonist, an ordinary man who was once a police officer. All the books have the word "Saratoga" in the title.
In the comic novel ''The Wrestler's Cruel Study'', the protagonist roams through a modern cityscape governed by fairy-tale rituals, searching for his missing fiancée. He is alternately aided or hindered by a Friedrich Nietzsche -quoting manager and his Hegelian nemesis, to find that his wrestling matches are choreographed by a shadowy organization that enacts their various
Gnostic
Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems which coalesced in the late 1st century AD among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized pe ...
theological debates through the pageantry and panoply of the ring. He eventually learns to resolve his own dualistic nature and determine who he is despite the role he plays.
''The Church of Dead Girls'' is a novel about a small town's hysterical response to the mysterious disappearance of three of its teenaged girls.
''Boy in the Water'' is a novel about events in a secluded private school in the United States.
Jenny Hilborne, wrote in ''New York Journal of Books'' that ''The Burn Palace'' "is an intriguing fictional mystery set in the town of Brewster, Rhode Island, and includes elements of the supernatural, satanism, and other alternate religions, including neo-pagans, Wicca, and witchcraft...mysterious and engaging . . .”
''Is Fat Bob Dead Yet?'' was named one of ''Publishers Weeklys Best Mysteries of 2015.
Bibliography
Poetry
*''Concurring Beasts'' (1972)
*''Griffon: Poems'' (1976)
*''Heat Death'' (1980)
*''The Balthus Poems'' (1982)
*''Black Dog, Red Dog'' (1984)
*''Cemetery Nights'' (1987)
*''Body Traffic'' (1990)
*''Velocities: New and Selected Poems, 1966-1992'' (1994)
*''Common Carnage'' (1996)
*''Pallbearers Envying the One Who Rides'' (1999)
*''The Porcupine's Kisses'' (2002)
*''Mystery, So Long'' (2005)
*''Winter's Journey'' (
Copper Canyon Press
Copper Canyon Press is an independent, non-profit small press, founded in 1972 specializing exclusively in the publication of poetry. It is located in Port Townsend, Washington.
Copper Canyon Press publishes new collections of poetry by both pop ...
, 2010)
*''The Day's Last Light Reddens the Leaves of the Copper Beech'' (
BOA Editions
BOA Editions, Ltd. is an American independent, non-profit literary publishing company located in Rochester, New York, founded in 1976 by the late poet, editor and translator, A. Poulin, Jr., and publishing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
The pre ...
, 2016)
Fiction
*''A Man of Little Evils'' (1973)
*''Dancer With One Leg'' (1983)
*''Cold Dog Soup'' (1985)
*''A Boat Off the Coast'' (1987)
*''The Two Deaths of Senora Puccini'' (1988)
*''The House on Alexandrine'' (1990)
*''After Shocks/Near Escapes'' (1991)
*''The Wrestler's Cruel Study'' (1993)
*''The Church of Dead Girls'' (1997)
*''Boy in the Water'' (1999)
*''Eating Naked''
S(2000)
*''The Burn Palace'' (2013)
*''Is Fat Bob Dead Yet?'' (2015)
Charlie Bradshaw series
*''Saratoga Longshot'' (1976)
*''Saratoga Swimmer'' (1981)
*''Saratoga Headhunter'' (1985)
*''Saratoga Snapper'' (1986)
*''Saratoga Bestiary'' (1988)
*''Saratoga Hexameter'' (1990)
*''Saratoga Haunting'' (1993)
*''Saratoga Backtalk'' (1994)
*''Saratoga Fleshpot'' (1995)
*''Saratoga Strongbox'' (1998)
*''Saratoga Payback'' (2017)
Nonfiction
*''Best Words, Best Order: Essays on Poetry'' (1996)
*''Next Word, Better Word: The Craft of Writing Poetry'' (2011)
References
External links
Interview with Stephen Dobyns
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobyns, Stephen
1941 births
Living people
20th-century American novelists
University of Iowa alumni
Wayne State University alumni
Shimer College alumni
University of Iowa faculty
Syracuse University faculty
Boston University faculty
Sarah Lawrence College faculty
People from Orange, New Jersey
Iowa Writers' Workshop alumni
21st-century American novelists
Novelists from New Jersey
20th-century American poets
21st-century American poets
American male novelists
American male poets
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American male writers
Novelists from Massachusetts
Novelists from New York (state)
Novelists from Iowa