With the notable exception of W.S. Merwin, no important poet writing in America today has been more prolific than David Wagoner; moreover, no other poet who might challenge that assertion has demonstrated Wagoner’s mastery of the craft. Born in Massilon, Ohio, in 1926, Wagoner has to date produced eighteen full-length books of poetry, ten novels, at least a dozen uncollected short stories and novellas, several plays, and an edition of Theodore Roethke’s notebooks, Straw for the Fire (1972). In 1982 Francis Ford Coppola produced a film based on his novel The Escape Artist (1965), featuring Griffin O’Neal, Raul Julia, Desi Arnez, Sr., Terri Garr, and Joan Hackett. Wagoner’s poems have garnered several awards, …
3710 words
Citation: McFarland, Ronald . "David Wagoner". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 February 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4570, accessed 31 October 2024.]
