Douglas Kearney has published six books, including Buck Studies (Fence, 2016), which won the Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Award, the CLMP Firecracker Award for Poetry, and the silver medal from the California Book Award.
He is the next Bagley Wright Lecturer, scheduled in March 2021.
The Los Angeles Times said, ""[Douglas Kearney] is at the other end of the century, using a multicultural voice inflected with the concerns of what it means to be a young black man at this time and at this place."
BOMB gave a glowing review of Buck Studies, calling it a"serious moral reflection on racial identity."
PW gave Mess and Mess And a starred review, calling it "an extraordinary book."
Douglas is beloved by poetry communities, has been published by some esteemed small presses, but we feel that this will be a breakout book for him to reach an even wider audience. This book in particular is accessible enough to be enjoyed by those unfamiliar with Douglas's previously more experimental poems.
This book's themes and content are especially germane to the present cultural moment, and we expect that his book will be of particular interest to students at the University of Minnestota-Twin Cities, where Douglas teaches.
Douglas typically travels about 1-2 times a month for literary events, and he is eager to travel around the country touring with the book. He is also amenable to virtual events, and he often works with his publicist at Blue Flower to organize appearances.
