Roger reevess first book, king me, was published by copper canyon press in 20 and was awarded the 2014 larry levis reading prize and a john c. He is the recipient of a whiting award and a pushcart prize, as well as fellowships from cave canem, the national endowment for the arts, the poetry foundation, and princeton university. Roger reevess poems have appeared in journals such as poetry, ploughshares, american poetry. He was awarded a 20 nea fellowship, ruth lilly fellowship by the poetry foundation in 2008. King me, the debut collection by roger reeves, gathers the fragments of american identity and makes each poem sing of its beauty and its horror. Whenever i think of oharas birthday, i think of the poet roger reeves, who wrote the poem someday ill love roger reeves in response to. He covered six continents, transporting 20 ton ship loads of hash, tons of cocaine, and completed more than 100 sorties across the us border with plane loads of marijuana. King me stitches together many worlds into one startling and visceral book. Roger reaves is a good storyteller with a good story to tellhis life as an international drug smuggler, as he says, the most prolific of the 20th century. The reader is kept turning pages by vivid depictions of people, places, heart thumping exploits, and weather, the weather being a key factor when the author is flying home across borders overloaded and running low on fuel.
Roger william reeves born january 1980 in new jersey is an american poet. Romanticism the blue keats by roger reeves the parisamerican. Roger reeves poems have appeared or are forthcoming in poetry, ploughshares. The poetry of roger reeves ii about mlc the messianic literary corner is an independent grace oriented messianic jewish ministry, offering scripture studies, scientific and archaeological apologetics, poetry and more. His first book, king me, is forthcoming from copper canyon press in 20. Roger reevess poems have appeared in journals such as poetry. Roger reeves first book of poems is king me, which won the vcus larry levis reading prize, the john c. Roger reeves earned his phd from the university of texas, austin, and is the author. Roger reaves grew up a poor farm boy in georgia and went from making moonshine to becoming one of the most prolific smugglers of the 20th century.
His first book, king me, is forthcoming from copper canyon press in october 20. Roger reeves is the recipient of the 2014 levis reading prize for his debut collection of poetry, king me copper canyon press, 20. Kim addonizio selected kletic of walt whitman for the best new poets 2009 anthology. This article is an autobiography or has been extensively edited by the subject or by someone connected to the subject. But in roger reeves debut collection of poems, king me, we find it is in the. I found his footnotes on poem titles to be done particuarly wellthey illuminate information about some aspect of the poem without revealing too much about the authors intent or sidetrack the reader. Roger reeves is a remarkable poet who creates poems of beautiful language and metaphors. I have not read a first book of poems this year so exciting and ecstatic. Reevess honors include a ruth lilly fellowship from the poetry foundation, two. Michener center for creative writing and his phd from the university of texas.
A sophisticated and breathtaking writer, reeves takes the reader on a harrowing journey. Poetry of roger reeves ii messianic literary corner. In this collection, he wrote from creative predicaments and as important historical characters. His second collection of poetry is forthcoming from w. Roger reeves earned his phd from the university of texas, austin, and is the author of king. Review king me, by roger reeves, christian detisch blackbird. Brazil by roger reeves poems academy of american poets. Roger reeves earned his phd from the university of texas, austin, and is the author of king me copper canyon press, 20, winner of the larry levis reading prize, the penoakland josephine miles literary award, and a john c. On the best poetry books of the year list from library journal.