John Bensko
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Brief Biography
John Bensko was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He earned a BA and MFA from the University of Alabama before continuing his studies at Florida State University. Bensko obtained his PhD in 20th-century poetry and narrative technique from FSU in 1985. His debut volume of poetry, Green Soldiers, was published in 1981. It was chosen by Richard Hugo for the Yale Series of Younger Poets award that same year. Bensko taught at the University of Alabama, Old Dominion University, Rhodes College, and as a Fulbright Professor in American Literature at the University of Alicante, Spain, before his current position as an English professor at the University of Memphis. He has been instrumental in developing the MFA and undergraduate creative writing programs at the University of Memphis. He has also launched a summer program in creative writing at the Universidad de Alicante through the Study Abroad Office.
Publications
Green Soldiers. New Haven; Yale University Press, 1981.
The Waterman's Children. Amherst; University of Massachusetts Press, 1994.
The Iron City. Champaign; University of Illinois Press, 2000.
Sea Dogs. Minneapolis; Graywolf Press, 2004.
Visitations. Tampa; University of Tampa Press, 2014.
The Waterman's Children. Amherst; University of Massachusetts Press, 1994.
The Iron City. Champaign; University of Illinois Press, 2000.
Sea Dogs. Minneapolis; Graywolf Press, 2004.
Visitations. Tampa; University of Tampa Press, 2014.
Themes
John Bensko is a poet who writes about a broad range of topics, including marriage, family, war, and the South. He frequently connects singular experiences to history in his works.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Bensko, John, “John Bensko,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/540.