Rodney Jones
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Brief Biography
Rodney Jones had a rural upbringing in northern Alabama and started writing poems in high school. He completed his bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Alabama in 1971 and continued writing poetry, selling three of his poems to The Atlantic Monthly in 1972. Jones then obtained an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1973 before pursuing a career in education while continuing to write. He was an English professor at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale until 2012. Jones's profound impact on contemporary poetry is evidenced by his numerous accolades, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Peter I.B. Lavan Award, and the Harper Lee Award, accompanied by prestigious fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Jones now lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, and teaches in the low-residency MFA program at Warren Wilson College.
Publications
Going Ahead, Looking Back. Knoxville; Southbound Books, 1977.
The Story they Told Us of Light. Alabama; University of Alabama Press, 1980.
The Unborn. Boston; Atlantic Monthly Press, 1985.
Transparent Gestures. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 1989.
Apocalyptic Narrative, and Other Poems. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 1993.
Things that Happen Once: New Poems. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 1996.
Elegy for the Southern Drawl. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 1999.
Kingdom of the Instant. New York; HarperCollins, 2004.
Salvation Blues: One Hundred Poems, 1985-2002. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 2006.
Imaginary Logic. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 2011.
Village Prodigies. New York; HarperCollins, 2017.
The Story they Told Us of Light. Alabama; University of Alabama Press, 1980.
The Unborn. Boston; Atlantic Monthly Press, 1985.
Transparent Gestures. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 1989.
Apocalyptic Narrative, and Other Poems. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 1993.
Things that Happen Once: New Poems. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 1996.
Elegy for the Southern Drawl. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 1999.
Kingdom of the Instant. New York; HarperCollins, 2004.
Salvation Blues: One Hundred Poems, 1985-2002. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 2006.
Imaginary Logic. Boston; Houghton-Mifflin, 2011.
Village Prodigies. New York; HarperCollins, 2017.
Themes
Rodney Jones is primarily a poet and draws inspiration from the oral storytelling tradition present where he grew up in rural Alabama. His works include themes like memory and the power of the past.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Jones, Rodney, “Rodney Jones,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/620.