About Poet Laureate Kim Stafford

Kim Stafford was born and grew up in Oregon. He is the author of a dozen books of poetry and prose, and editor of half a dozen others. He holds a PhD in medieval literature from the University of Oregon. Stafford has received creative writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Governor’s Arts Award, and the Stewart Holbrook Award from Literary Arts for his contributions to Oregon’s literary culture. His work has been featured on NPR.

Stafford has worked as a printer, photographer, oral historian, editor and visiting writer at a host of colleges and schools, and has also offered writing workshops in Italy, Scotland and Bhutan. He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and children.

Stafford’s most recent book, 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do, is an account of his brother’s suicide, and the struggle of his family to live beyond. It is a book where “the story reaches back through the difficult end to grasp the beautiful beginning, like pulling a venomous serpent inside out.”

“Poetry is our native language,” says Stafford. “We begin with imaginative experiments as children, . . . lyric language can be a realm of discovery and delight throughout life. For adults and communities, poetry can help us be more open to new ideas, emotionally informed, and buoyant in responding to challenges. . . ”

This is an edited version of Kim Stafford’s biography from the Oregon Cultural Trust.