Robert Phillips (poet)

Robert Phillips (born 1938) is an American poet and professor of English at the University of Houston. He is the author or editor of more than 30 volumes of poetry, fiction, poetry criticism and other works. In 1998 he was named a John and Rebecca Moores Scholar at University of Houston university.[1]

Robert Phillips

At college Phillips double majored in Advertising and English.[2] His first job was that of Admissions Director at Syracuse University[2] which Phillips called his least interesting job because the students kept asking the same questions. He found an advertising job with Benton & Bowles in New York City in the 1960s and liked it because it combined his interest in writing, art, writing.[2]). While at the company [2]He worked on accounts for Revlon, Clearasil and Ford Motor Company. After work he continued to write poetry and fiction. His first book, Inner Weather was published in 1966. He and his wife transferred to the office in Dusseldorf, Germany where he had opportunities to travel to places like Paris and London. Eventually he returned to New York and worked at several other agencies.

Phillips continued publishing while working in advertising, while teaching creative writing part time at the New School at nights. Eventually, he decided to go full time in teaching. (Phillips later directed the Creative Writing Program at University of Houston from 1991 to 1996). [1]

Honors and Awards

Phillip's writings have received a Pushcart Prize, an American Academy and Institute of Arts Letters Award in Literature, a New York State Council on the Arts CAPS Grant in Poetry, MacDowell Colony and Yaddo Fellowships, a National Public Radio Syndicated Fiction Project Award, a Syracuse University Arents Pioneer Medal, and Texas Institute of Letters membership.[1]

Robert Phillips Chapbook Prize

Starting in 2001, the Texas Review in coordination with Sam Houston State University has offered an annual prize bearing Phillips' name for a distinguished poetry chapbook. [3] Starting in 2019, the award includes a $500 advance and publication with Texas A&M University Press.

Book Published -- Poetry and Fiction
  • Inner Weather (Golden Quill Press, 1966).
  • Moonstruck: An Anthology of Lunar Poetry. Anthology of Classic and 20th century poets. (Edited). (Vanguard Press, 1973).
  • The Land of Lost Content. Stories. (Vanguard Press, 1970)
  • Circumstances Beyond Our Control: Poems (Johns Hopkins: 2006)
  • The Pregnant Man (Doubleday, 1978)
  • Running on Empty (Doubleday, 1981)
  • Personal Accounts: New & Selected Poems 1966-1986 (Ontario Review Press, 1986). According to the preface, 1/3 of the poems are new. The earlier poems were selected from Inner Weather, Pregnant Man and Running on Empty. Some of these previously published poems have been revised since the earlier publication. [4]
  • The Wounded Angel (Brighton Press)
  • Public Landing Revisited (Story Line Press)
  • Breakdown Lane (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994)
  • Spinach Days (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000)
  • News About People You Know. Collected Stories. (Texas Review Press, 2002)
  • Now & Then: New and Selected Poems. (Ashland Poetry Press, 2009).
  • Ice House Sketches. (Texas Review Press, 2011).

Books Published - Critical Studies, Nonfiction, Works Edited
  • Confessional Poets. Literary criticism reviewing the genre -- with leading practitioners such Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton, W. D. Snodgrass, and John Berryman, (Southern Illinois University Press, 1973).
  • Denton Welch (Twayne's English Authors). Critical introduction. (Twayne Pub, 1974).
  • Aspects of Alice: Lewis Carroll's Dream Child as Seen Through the Critics' Looking-glasses. Collection of essays selected and introduced by Phillips. (Harmondsworth/Penguin Books, 1974)
  • Delmore Schwartz and James Laughlin: Selected Letters (Editor). (W.W. Norton: 1978).
  • William Goyen. Critical introduction. (Twayne Publishers, 1979).
  • Shenandoah: And Other Verse Plays by Delmore Schwartz (Editor). (BOA Editions, 1991).
  • New Selected Poems of Marya Zaturenska (Editor) (Syracuse U Press, 2001).
  • The Madness of Art (Syracuse University Press, 2003). Interviews with William Goyen, Philip Larkin, Joyce Carol Oates, Karl Shapiro, William Jay Smith, Elizabeth Spencer, William Styron, and Marya Zaturenska.
  • William Goyen: Selected Letters from a Writer’s Life. (Editor). (University of Texas Press, 2014).
  • Coda: Last Poems of Karl Jay Shapiro, Edited. (Texas Review Press, 2008).

References
  1. "UH Creative Writing Faculty Page: Robert Phillips". University of Houston. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  2. Phillips, Robert. "Robert Phillips - ABR - 2007 (Public Lecture)". Youtube. American Book Review. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  3. "The Robert Phillips Poetry Chapbook Prize". Texas Review Press. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  4. Phillips, Robert (1986). Personal accounts : new & selected poems, 1966-1986. Ontario Press. p. Author's Note. ISBN 0865380503. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
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