Professional Summary
John Drury earned his BA in Comparative Literature from Stony Brook University in 1976, his MA from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University in 1978, and his MFA from the Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1980. He began teaching at the University of Cincinnati in 1985. He is the author of four full-length poetry collections (The Disappearing Town, Burning the Aspern Papers, The Refugee Camp, and Sea Level Rising) and two books about poetry (Creating Poetry and The Poetry Dictionary). He has won the Bernard F. Conners Prize in Poetry from The Paris Review, two Ohio Arts Council grants, and an Ingram Merrill Foundation award, as well as the University's Dolly Cohen Award for Distinguished Teaching. His narrative nonfiction has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, The Evansville Review, Alligator Juniper, and as a Ploughshares Solo.
Books of Poems
Sea Level Rising, Able Muse Press, 2015
The Refugee Camp, Turning Point Books, 2011
Burning the Aspern Papers, Miami University Press, 2003
The Disappearing Town, Miami University Press, 2000
Chapbooks of Poems
The Stray Ghost, State Street Press, 1987
Fire in the Wax Museum, The Press at Colorado College, 1980
Books about Poetry
The Poetry Dictionary, revised second edition, Writer’s Digest Books, 2006
The Poetry Dictionary, Story Press, 1995
Creating Poetry, Writer’s Digest Books, 1991
Poems in the Following Magazines
Able Muse, The American Journal of Poetry, The American Poetry Review, Another Chicago Magazine, The Antioch Review, Ascent, The Baltimore Review, The Beloit Poetry Journal, Boulevard, Carolina Quarterly, The Chattahoochee Review, Cimarron Review, Columbia, Contemporary Ghazals, The Cortland Review, Crab Orchard Review, Denver Quarterly, Epoch, The Gettysburg Review, Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review, Hotel Amerika, The Hudson Review, Inertia, Iron Horse Literary Review, The Iowa Review, The Journal, Kansas Quarterly, Laurel Review, Light, The Literary Review, Main Street Rag, Measure, The Missouri Review, The New Republic, North American Review, Open Places, The Paris Review, Passager, Pequod, Phoebe, Ploughshares, Poet & Critic, Poet Lore, Poetry, Poetry Northwest, Poetry Now, Quarterly West, The Raintown Review, River Styx, Schuylkill Valley Journal of the Arts, Shenandoah, Smartish Pace, Southern Indiana Review, Southern Poetry Review, The Southern Review, Sou’wester, Tampa Review, Tar River Poetry, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Verse, Western Humanities Review, Willow Springs, and Xanadu
Narrative Prose
“My Mother’s Choice,” Alligator Juniper XXI (May 2017).
“Heading for a Total Eclipse,” Ploughshares Solos 3.8 (May 19, 2015) and reprinted in Ploughshares Solos Omnibus Volume 3 (2015).
“Interrogator’s Guide,” The Evansville Review (Volume XXV, 2015).
“The House That She Designed,” The Gettysburg Review (Summer 2011).
Abbreviated Publications
Book of Poems
The Refugee Camp. Turning Point Books, forthcoming in 2011.
Burning the Aspern Papers. Miami University Press, 2003.
The Disappearing Town. Miami University Press, 2000.
The Stray Ghost. State Street Press, 1987.
Fire in the Wax Museum. The Press at Colorado College, 1980.
Other Publication
"The House That She Designed." The Gettysburg Review (forthcoming).
"Elixir for the Spirit: Finding Fresh Subject Matter." The Craft and Business of Writing. Writer's Digest Books (2008).
"Building Your Poetry Bookshelf." Writer’s Digest (2007).
"On Merwin’s ‘The Judgment of Paris’." Many Mountains Moving (2001).
"Essays on the poetry of Henri Coulette, Robert Hayden, Donald Justice, Louis Simpson, and May Swenson." Cyclopedia of World Authors (1998).
"Not Your Mother’s PTA: Cincinnati’s Performance and Time Arts Series." Dialogue (1998).
"Poems as Exercise Generators." AWP Pedagogy Handbook (1997).
"Essays on Thomas Campion’s “My Sweetest Lesbia” and Richard Wilbur’s “Junk"." Masterplots II: Poetry (1992).
"Living in Nuremberg." Open Places (1986).
"Review of Deep Within the Ravine by Philip Schultz." Poetry Society of America Bulletin (1985).
"Review of A Planet by Arthur Vogelsang." Cream City Review (1984).
"Review of the poetry of Philip Levine." The Daily Iowan (1984).
"Review of the poetry of Yehuda Amichai." The Daily Iowan (1984).
"Review of raccoon." Literary Magazine Review (1983).
"Review of the poetry of Denis Johnson." The Daily Iowan (1983).
"Review of the poetry of Gary Snyder." The Daily Iowan (1983).
"Review of the poetry of Marvin Bell, James Galvin, Jorie Graham, Bill Knott, and Gerald Stern." The Daily Iowan (1983).
"Essays on the poetry of Anthony Hecht, William Heyen, and Gregory Orr." Magill’s Critical Survey of Poetry (1982).
"Devices and Desires." Poet & Critic (1982).
"An Interview with Louis Simpson." Iowa Journal of Literary Studies (1981).
"Review of the poetry of Maxine Kumin." The Daily Iowan (1980).
"Review of the poetry of Gwen Head and Carol Muske." The Daily Iowan (1980).
"Review of Ashes: Poems New and Old by Philip Levine." Concerning Poetry (1980).
Poem
"Reverse Pindaric Ode for Olympic Athletes Who Do Not Win Any Medals." Western Humanities Review. Forthcoming.
"The Turkish Dishwaser." Western Humanities Review. Forthcoming.
"Natural History." Southern Indiana Review. 2009.
"Ghazal of the Lagoon." A Poet's Craft: The Making and Shaping of Poems. Ed. Annie Finch. University of Michigan Press 2009.
"Ghazal of the Lagoon." A Poet's Ear: A Handbook of Meter and Form. Ed. Annie Finch. University of Michigan Press 2009.
"Glassy Apparatus." Sou'wester. 2008.
"First Trip to Venice." Gondola Signore Gondola: Venice in 20th Century American Poetry—Venezia Nelle Poesia Americana Del Novecento. Ed. Rosella Mamoli Zorzi and Gregory Dowling. Supernova Edizioni 2007.
"Ghazal of the Lagoon." Gondola Signore Gondola: Venice in 20th Century American Poetry—Venezia Nelle Poesia Americana Del Novecento. Ed. Rosella Mamoli Zorzi and Gregory Dowling. Supernova Edizioni 2007.
"Blues in the Nation’s Capital." Líneas conectadas: nueva poesía de los Estados Unidos. Ed. April Lindner. Sarabande Books 2006.
"Dirty Poem." Líneas conectadas: nueva poesía de los Estados Unidos. Ed. April Lindner. Sarabande Books 2006.
"The Palaces of Night." The Paris Review. 2006.
"Contrary Motion." Inertia. 2006.
"Dirty Poem." Wisconsin Public Radio. 2006.
"Leap and Tumble." Hotel Amerika. 2005.
"Basic Training." Sou’wester. 2004.
"Applying for Asylum." The Literary Review. 2004.
"Liaison Office." The Blue Writer. 2004.
"Double Elegy." Willow Springs. 2004.
"Sonnets for Mr. Lewis." Sou’wester. 2003.
"Christmas Tree Inn." Smartish Pace. 2003.
"Circle Line." Smartish Pace. 2003.
"Coastal Warning Displays." The Antioch Review. 2003.
"Gigi by the Zattere." Schuylkill Valley Journal of the Arts. 2003.
"Meeting in Water." Schuylkill Valley Journal of the Arts. 2003.
"Heron." The Southern Review. 2003.
"Aesop Revisited." Verse Daily. 2003.
"Heron." Verse Daily. 2003.
"Ghazal of the Messengers." Poetry Daily. 2003.
"Beard." The Paris Review. 2002.
"Ghazal for Baron Corvo." The Paris Review. 2002.
"Weather Report." The Journal. 2002.
"A Boy’s Room." Schuylkill Valley Journal of the Arts. 2002.
"Familiar World." Schuylkill Valley Journal of the Arts. 2002.
"Aesop Revisited." The Southern Review. 2001.
"Ghazal of Eros." The Southern Review. 2001.
"My Father Singing in the Basilica of San Marco." Poetry Daily. 2000.
"Winter Morning." Phoebe. 2000.
"Baseball." Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English. Ed. Agha Shahid Ali. Wesleyan University Press 2000.
"For Laurie." Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English. Ed. Agha Shahid Ali. Wesleyan University Press 2000.
"Ghazal of an Island." Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English. Ed. Agha Shahid Ali. Wesleyan University Press 2000.
"Ghazal of the Lagoon." Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English. Ed. Agha Shahid Ali. Wesleyan University Press 2000.
"Night Sounds." Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English. Ed. Agha Shahid Ali. Wesleyan University Press 2000.
"Of the Tides." Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English. Ed. Agha Shahid Ali. Wesleyan University Press 2000.
"The Weekend." Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English. Ed. Agha Shahid Ali. Wesleyan University Press 2000.
"Ghazal for My Father." The Paris Review. 1999.
"My Father Singing in the Basilica of San Marco." The Paris Review. 1999.
"The Cemetery Island." The Literary Review. 1999.
"First Trip to Venice." The Cortland Review. 1998.
"March Evening in the Piazzetta." Western Humanities Review. 1998.
"Embassy Row." Denver Quarterly. 1998.
"Burning the Aspern Papers." The Paris Review. 1997.
"Ghazal of the Lagoon." The Paris Review. 1997.
"Traveling with My Mother." The Paris Review. 1997.
"Ghazal of Landmarks." Boulevard. 1997.
"Dirty Poem." The Southern Review. 1997.
"Sea Nettles." The Southern Review. 1997.
"Ghazal of Birthdays." The American Poetry Review. 1997.
"Ghazal of the Messengers." The American Poetry Review. 1997.
"Ghazal of Sleeping In." Verse. 1997.
"Blues in the Nation’s Capital." Kansas Quarterly/Arkansas Review. 1996.
"Cuttlefish." The Southern Review. 1995.
"Railroad Yard at Orbisonia." Cincinnati Poetry Review. 1995.
"The Center of the Block." The Paris Review. 1994.
"Summer Jobs." The Paris Review. 1994.
"House on the Chesapeake." The Chattahoochee Review. 1994.
"Hareton Earnshaw, 1803: ‘Hareton Earnshaw, 1500." Western Humanities Review. 1993.
"Storm on Fishing Bay." Western Humanities Review. 1993.
"Learning Cursive." Western Humanities Review. 1992.
"Apartment Building Corridors." High Plains Literary Review. 1992.
"On Location." High Plains Literary Review. 1992.
"Stadium." The New Republic. 1992.
"Fighting a War." Bylines. 1991.
"Hot Spell." The Journal. 1991.
"Pursuing the Delta Blues." Western Humanities Review. 1991.
"Semester Abroad." Western Humanities Review. 1991.
"Matinee." High Plains Literary Review. 1990.
"Burning the Flags." The New Republic. 1990.
"The Coming On." Poetry Northwest. 1990.
"Suicide Bridge." Tar River Poetry. 1990.
"Disastrous Love." Western Humanities Review. 1990.
"Climbing Mt. Storm." The State Street Reader. Ed. Judith Kitchen. State Street Press 1990.
"Postmodern Love." The New Republic. 1989.
"Against Regret." Cincinnati Poetry Review. 1989.
"The Angel on the Wall." Cincinnati Poetry Review. 1989.
"The Maid Train." The Gettysburg Review. 1989.
"Crossing the Border." Western Humanities Review. 1989.
"Under the Imperial Eagle." Another Chicago Magazine. 1989.
"Interrupted Song." River Styx. 1989.
"The Slopes." River Styx. 1989.
"Retreat." The New Republic. 1988.
"Lake Shore Limited." Cincinnati Poetry Review. 1988.
"Little Diamond Island." Cincinnati Poetry Review. 1988.
"Consignment." Memphis State Review. 1988.
"Thinking of Easter." Memphis State Review. 1988.
"The Agency Mural." Pequod. 1988.
"The Double Spires." Pequod. 1988.
"Sonnet to Orpheus." The New Republic. 1987.
"In Memoriam: Tom Hird." Cimarron Review. 1987.
"Sudy." Cimarron Review. 1987.
"How It Matters." The Beloit Poetry Journal. 1987.
"God’s Hotel." Cincinnati Poetry Review. 1987.
"Descant." Shenandoah. 1987.
"The Refugee Camp." Open Places. 1986.
"Paradise." Cincinnati Poetry Review. 1986.
"Weeping Fig." Kansas Quarterly. 1986.
"Children in a Steeple." Xanadu. 1986.
"The Biblical Garden." The Pushcart Prize XI: Best of the Small Presses. Ed. Bill Henderson. Pushcart Press 1986.
"The Dry Goods Store." Anthology of Magazine Verse & Yearbook of American Poetry. Ed. Alan Pater. Monitor Book Company 1985.
"Evensong." Quarterly West. 1985.
"The Biblical Garden." The Missouri Review. 1985.
"Matching Portraits." Laurel Review. 1984.
"The Dry Goods Store." The Hudson Review. 1984.
"Great South Bay." The Hudson Review. 1984.
"Shrine." Southern Poetry Review. 1984.
"Detasseling Corn." Ploughshares. 1984.
"Construction Site." Anthology of Magazine Verse & Yearbook of American Poetry. Ed. Alan Pater. Monitor Book Company 1984.
"Election Year in Portugal." Shenandoah. 1983.
"Li Po in Chinatown." Shenandoah. 1983.
"A Visit to the Capital." Calliope. 1983.
"Soprano." The Antioch Review. 1983.
"Lovers at the Zoo." Southern Poetry Review. 1983.
"Lanterns in the Trees." Columbia. 1982.
"Exhibitionist on a Rainy Day." Poet & Critic. 1982.
"Stake Out." Poet & Critic. 1982.
"The Fear of Taking Off the Mask." The Iowa Review. 1981.
"The Disappearing Town." Shenandoah. 1981.
"Construction Site." Poetry Now. 1981.
"Fire in the Wax Museum." Poetry Now. 1981.
"Side Panels: Adam and Eve." Poetry. 1980.
"Scavenger on the Waterfront." The Antioch Review. 1980.
"Winter Night." Carolina Quarterly. 1980.
"Publication of the Bride Sheets." Shenandoah. 1980.
"Bridge of the Carousel." Anthology of Magazine Verse & Yearbook of American Poetry. Ed. Alan Pater. Monitor Book Company 1980.
"Decoys." Poetry. 1979.
"Chestnuts." Southern Poetry Review. 1979.
"Bridge of the Carousel." Denver Quarterly. 1979.
"My life is not this steep and turning hour." Denver Quarterly. 1979.
"Ransom Note." Shenandoah. 1978.
"Bamboo." Epoch. 1978.
"The Stunt Man." Shenandoah. 1978.
"The Ballad of Big Liz." Ellipsis. 1978.
"To Jonathan, Who Enlisted." Poetry Now. 1978.
"Ghazal of the Arabian Nights." Poets Against the War.
Book
The Poetry Dictionary (2nd ed.). Writer’s Digest Books, 2006.
The Poetry Dictionary. Story Press, 1995.
Creating Poetry. Writer’s Digest Books, 1991.
Other Information
AWARDS AND HONORS
2018, Fellow of the Graduate School, University of Cincinnati
2015, William C. Boyce Excellence in Teaching Award, Dept. of English
2007, George Rieveschl Jr. Award for Creative or Scholarly Works
2004, Paris Review Prize from Zoo Press for The Refugee Camp, selected by Richard Howard (not published and the prize money not awarded because the press went out of business)
2003, Edith C. Alexander Award for Distinguished Teaching (A&S)
2000, A.B. “Dolly” Cohen Award for Distinguished Excellence in Teaching
1997, The Bernard F. Conners Prize for Poetry from The Paris Review (for “Burning the Aspern Papers”)
1997, William C. Boyce Excellence in Teaching Award, Dept. of English
1986, Pushcart Prize, for “The Biblical Garden” (The Missouri Review)
TEACHING
1985-present: University of Cincinnati (Professor, 2000-present; Associate Professor, 1991-2000; Assistant Professor, 1989-91; Instructor, 1985-89).
Courses taught: Freshman Composition; Advanced Freshman Composition; Topics in Literature; Major American Writers/Writing in America; Creative Writing: Fiction; Creative Writing: Poetry; Poetry of Bob Dylan; World Literature; Memoir as Literature; Music and Poetry; Contemporary American Poetry; Forms of Poetry; Seminar: American Literature; Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry; Study Tour to Venice, Italy; Venice in Literature; Senior Writing Seminar: Poetry Capstone; Graduate Poetry Workshop; Methods of Teaching Creative Writing (graduate); Technique and Form in Poetry (graduate); Approaches to Contemporary Poetry (graduate); Approaches to Twentieth-Century American Poetry (graduate); Problems in Literary Theory: Poetics (graduate).
July 2016, July 2010, July 2008, and July 2007: Poetry Workshop Instructor and Lecturer, Antioch Writers’ Workshop.,