If you're interested in poetry, it's always good to know what poets came from the very city you live in - in our case, Tucson. Many successful people lived in Tucson at some point in their lives, and poets definitely fit in that category as well.
Poetry is an amazing form of art because it can speak to your soul in very few words. Even when things don't rhyme, there's just something about the feeling of poetry that makes you see the world in a brand new light.
People who are talented enough to write good poetry are truly impressive. Here are some poets that have lived in Tucson, Arizona.
Peter Wild
The first poet to mention is Peter Wild who was born in 1940. He wasn't born in Tucson, but rather Massachusetts. However, he died in Tucson in 2009 and he spent a big part of his life there - he actually worked as a professor of English at the University of Arizona.
Peter Wild apparently wrote over 2 thousand poems! His book of poetry called Cochise has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, which is really impressive.
His other work includes The Afternoon in Dismay, New and Selected Poems, and Sonnets.
Jon Anderson
Another poet who has lived in Tucson is Jon Anderson. He was born in 1940 in Massachusetts, which is actually the very same year and state as Peter Wild! Jon Anderson passed away in Tucson in 2007 when he was 67 years old.
Jon Anderson studied at the Northeastern University as well as the University of Iowa. When it comes to his career in Tucson, he was an associate professor at the University of Arizona until he retired. He actually taught many poets, such as Agha Shahid Ali, Tony Hoagland and David Wojahn.
When it comes to his work, this is what Goodreads has to say about Anderson:
"Jon Anderson was an American poet. He published seven books of poetry, including Day Moon (2001), The Milky Way: Poems 1967–1982 (1983), Death & Friends (1970), which was nominated for the National Book Award, and Looking for Jonathan (1968). He was the recipient of a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation, two awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Society of America’s Shelley Memorial Award."
Why not read some of Anderson's work? You might be surprised at what beautiful poetry you can discover.
Richard Shelton
Another poet who has lived in Tucson is Richard Shelton. Shelton was born in 1933 in Idaho and he worked as a Regents Professor of English at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Shelton has written nine poetry books and has received various awards for his writing. The Tattooed Desert was his first collection of poems, and he received the International Poetry Forum's U.S. Award for it. Jonathan Thompson, a reviewer on Goodreads, has given the collection five stars and has written:
"Richard Shelton is my favorite poet of all time. Seriously. I mean, I'm also a big fan -- obsessive fan -- of Rilke, Neruda, Dylan Thomas, and on and on, but only Shelton and Simon Ortiz can capture so perfectly the part of the world that I call home: The American Interior West/Southwest. This, and all of Shelton's work, is a must read for anyone who lives in, or is interested in, the Sonoran Desert."
If you're in the mood for poetry, try picking up one of Shelton's collections of poems. He might just as well become your favorite poet too. You never know.
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