Gerald W. Barrax
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Brief Biography
Gerald W. Barrax was born in Atalla, Alabama. He served in the United States Air Force from 1953-1957. While serving in South Carolina, Barrax began studying poetry in his free time. He enrolled at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh to study English in 1959, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1963. He also earned a master’s degree in 1969 from the University of Pittsburgh. Barrax went on to have a successful teaching career as an English instructor at North Carolina Central University and later as a faculty member at North Carolina State University. He published five books of poetry during his lifetime and earned awards from the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, and the state of North Carolina for his contributions to fine arts.
Publications
Another Kind of Rain. Pittsburgh; University of Pittsburgh Press, 1970.
An Audience of One. Athens; University of Georgia Press, 1980.
The Deaths of Animals and Lesser Gods. Kentucky; University of Kentucky, Lexington, 1984.
Leaning Against the Sun: Poems. Fayetteville; University of Arkansas Press, 1992.
From a Person Sitting in Darkness: New and Selected Poems. Baton Rouge; Louisiana State University Press, 1998.
An Audience of One. Athens; University of Georgia Press, 1980.
The Deaths of Animals and Lesser Gods. Kentucky; University of Kentucky, Lexington, 1984.
Leaning Against the Sun: Poems. Fayetteville; University of Arkansas Press, 1992.
From a Person Sitting in Darkness: New and Selected Poems. Baton Rouge; Louisiana State University Press, 1998.
Themes
Gerald W. Barrax was a poet who wrote about the African American experience, love, death, religion, and more. His work shows his deep introspection and commitment to the craft of poetry.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Barrax, Gerald W., “Gerald W. Barrax,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/536.