Mark Doty

Mark Doty is an acclaimed poet and memoirist whose writings explore connections between the individual and the world. He is the author of nine books of poems, including two which have won the prestigious National Book Award: My Alexandria in 1993 and Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems in 2008. In addition to his works of poetry, Doty has also published two memoirs, Heaven’s Coast and Dog Years, as well as a critical study of Walt Whitman.

Born in 1953 in Maryville, Tennessee, Doty was the only child of a military family. His father was an Air Force pilot, and the family moved often during Doty's childhood. Doty's father was abusive, and he credits trees and other natural phenomena as the source of solace during his childhood. His feelings of loneliness and longing during childhood were the source of inspiration for some of his later writing.

Doty began writing poetry as a teenager and won the Breadlander Poetry Award while he was still in high school. He went on to attend Drake University, where he earned a BA in English. He then studied writing as a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and took his MFA from the University of Iowa.

Doty's poems are characterized by grace, beauty, and precision. His relationship to nature and to the quotidian elements of everyday life manifest strongly in his work. He has been praised for the depth of his reflections on life and death, and for his subtle grasp of language. He often deals directly with his own life experiences, offering detailed, reflective observations of personal events.

Doty’s acclaimed first book of poems, Turtle, Swan, was published in 1987, and was followed by Bethlehem in 1989 and My Alexandria in 1993. The latter won the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Doty was the first openly gay American author to win the award.

Throughout the 1990s, Doty published numerous books of his work in poetry and memoir, including the critically acclaimed sourcebook School of the Arts (1995), an exploration of his education and experiences as a writer. His next book of poetry, Atlantis (1995), was chosen by the New York Times as the best book of poetry published that year.

In 2008, he released the book Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems, which went on to win the National Book Award for poetry, making Doty the first poet to ever win the prestigious award twice. His other works of poetry include Sweet Machine (1998), School of the Arts (2005), and Deep Lane (2015).

Doty’s memoirs include Heaven’s Coast (1996), a reflection on his relationship with his partner who passed away from AIDS in 1994; and Dog Years (2007), in which Doty reflects on his love for his pet and his grief at losing him. Doty has also written two books of critical studies: Still Life With Oysters and Lemon and What Is the Grass: Walt Whitman in My Life.

Throughout his career, Doty has also served as a professor and held positions at several universities including the University of Houston and Rutgers University. In recent years he has taught Poetry and Memoir at Sarah Lawrence College.

Mark Doty's renowned work has earned him numerous accolades including the National Book Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Wallace Stevens Award, as well as a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for his contribution to poetry and biographical studies. He is an inspiration to writers of every kind and a testament to the power of language.