Nelson Bentley

Nelson Bentley' (1918-1990) was an American poet and academic, whose works have left an impression on the Seattle literary scene.

Nelson Bentley (1918-1990), circa 1972. Photo by Sean Bentley. Licensed under Creative Commons, courtesy Wikipedia.

Life

Youth and education

Bentley was born in Elm, Michigan.

He graduated from the University of Michigan, receiving his bachelor's then his master's degree there.

Bentley studied under W.H. Auden.

Career

In his 40 years as a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, Bentley conducted workshops, hosted readings at literary venues around the city and on radio and public television, juried poetry contests, edited poetry for journals and newspapers, and was a co-founder of Poetry Northwest and The Seattle Review.

He was a friend and colleague of Theodore Roethke, among other northwestern U.S. poets who created a distinct regional voice.

Although he was a fine poet in his own right, he believed his own greatest accomplishment to be his work in teaching hundreds of other poets who published in nationally recognized poetry outlets.

He founded the Castalia Reading Series, which started at the University of Washington in the mid-70s and continues today.

Publications

Poetry

• Sea Lion Caves, and other poems. Denver, CO: Allan Swallow (New Poetry Series), 1966.
• Grayland Apocalypse. Seattle, WA: Bonefire Press, 1972.
• A Day at North Cove, and other poems. Seattle, WA: Raven's Mask Press, 1974.
• Moose Call. Seattle, WA: Jawbone Press, 1977.
• Iron Man of the Hoh. Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press, 1978.
• An Evening at La Push. Port Townsend, WA: Copper Canyon Press, 1979.
• Snoqualmie Falls Apocalypse. Lewiston, ID: Confluence Press, 1981.
• A Classical Elegy for Ivar Haglund. Seattle, WA: Sea Pen Press, 1985.
• Collected Shorter Poems. Seattle, WA: Bellowing Ark Press, 1988.
• The Flying Oyster: The collected comic apocalypses. Seattle, WA: Bellowing Ark Press, 1997.

Collected editions

• Divertimento: The lost works of Nelson Bentley (edited by Sean Bentley). Seattle, WA: Floating Bridge Press, 2002.

Nelson Bentley poem - "The Way to Elizabeth White's"

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of U.S. poets

External links

Poems

• "Cannon Beach"
• "Iron Man of the Hoh"
• "Kallaloch: Looking toward Destruction Island"
• "Zero Tide"
• Nelson Bentley's Poetry (4 poems)

About

• Who is Nelson Bentley and Why he is important at Wash-cyclopedia
• Nelson Bentley, 72, Poet Laureate Of Northwest And UW Professor obituary, Seattle Times