David Ray, 92, embraced a dream of putting words into writing, and over time, he reached fame as a famous American poet and writer. He held this career alongside teaching at several universities in the United States and became a professor.
Knowing he had more to offer in different sectors, Ray became the founding editor of New Letters Magazine and New Letter. Yet, he is mostly remembered for his twenty-two volumes of poetry, including Hemingway: A Desperate Life (2011), When (2007), Music of Time: Selected and New Poems (2006), and The Death of Sardanapalus and Other Poems of the Iraq Wars (2004).
The Poet Hails From a Broken Home and Lived in a Foster Home
Ray was born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, on May 20, 1932. He had a rough childhood, dealing with his father deserting him and his mother.
Later, his mother found love in another man and was married. Unfortunately, the marriage ended, leading to his stepfather’s suicide.
This resulted in another struggle for him and his sister Ellen. They were sent to a foster home where they were not treated in the best ways possible. At one point, they dealt with being kicked out of a foster home at dinner.
To survive, they ate mulberries from a neighbor’s tree and the encounter would later influence his famous Mulberries of Mingo.
Amidst the suffering he had to endure, he found ways to receive a formal education. After completing elementary and high school, Ray attended the University of Chicago where he earned both B.A. and M.A.
He worked as a Lecturer and Read at Over 100 Universities in Different Countries
The Oklahoma-born writer is an academician. He has lectured and read at over 100 Universities in numerous countries such as the United States, Canada, England, India, New Zealand, and Australia.
Some of the notable institutions he taught at include Cornell University, Read College, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and University of Iowa.
The notable writer later became a professor.
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Many of His Works Have Been Influenced By Personal Experiences
Ray has used his experiences to create many of his works. Generally, these works encompass topics on social injustice, fear, love, s*x, and more.
Through his works, he has recounted his difficult childhood and even the complexities of adulthood. He has equally opened up his thoughts about wars, Jews, and many other views through his works.
Easily, he is identified as a writer with core to his messages which are also easily relatable.
Apart from focusing on these topics, David Ray gives most of his messages with simplicity.
He has released numerous volumes and compilations.
A list of His Books and Poems
- Music of Time: Selected and New Poems (2006)
- The Death of Saedanapalus and Other Poems of the Iraq Wars (2004)
- One Thousand Years: Poems About the Holocaust (2004)
- Demons in the Diner (1998)
- Not Far From the River (1990)
- The Maharani’s New Wall (1989)
- Kangaroo Paws: Poems Written in Australia (1994)
- Wool Highways (1993)
- The Tramp’s Cup (1978)
- Sam’s Book (1987)
- The Endless Search: A Memoir (2003)
- The Touched Life (1989)
- X-Rays (1965)
- When (2007)
- After Tagore: Poems Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore (2008)
- Hemingway: A Desperate Life (2011)
- Dragging the Main (1968)
- Gathering Firewood: New Poems and Selected (1974)
- Elysium in the Halls of Hell (1989)
- Kangaroo Paws: Poems Written in Australia (1994)
Ray has Won Several Awards
The 92-year-old writer has received many awards and nominations for fiction, poetry, and essays. Some of these awards include the following:
- Ray is a recipient of the William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America
- He also won the Maurice English Poetry Award
- The writer won a Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Poetry Award
- The David Ray Poetry Award has been named in his honor
He is a Founding Editor of Some Magazines
In 1971, David Ray began publishing under a new name: New Letters. Before then, the magazine was known as The Review.
The New Letters magazine was created to publish and promote literary writing.
With the magazine, Ray’s first issues had works from numerous literary inclined people such as Robert Bly, Cyrus Colter, Anselm Hollo, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Hugo, and Josephine Jacobson.
He is Married to a Poet and Essayist
Ray is married to Judy Ray, a poet and essayist. Together, they began the audio literature program New Letters on Air in 1977. The program which is aired on radio program that features writers reading and discussing their work.
The couple has been together for decades but they keep their union under wraps.
