Theodore Enslin

Theodore Enslin (1925-2011). Photo by Allison Enslin. Courtesy A Longhouse Birdhouse.

Theodore Vernon Enslin (March 25, 1925 - November 21, 2011) was an American poet associated with Cid Corman's Origin and press. He is widely regarded as one of the most musical of American avant-garde poets. (Citation needed)

Life

Enslin was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. His father was a biblical scholar and his mother a Latin scholar. He studied musical composition at Cambridge, Massachusetts. His teacher, Nadia Boulanger, was the first person to recognize his ability as a writer and encouraged him to pursue his interest in poetry. He has said "I like to be considered as a composer who happens to use words instead of notes." Hs first book, The Work Proposed, was published by Origin in 1958.

Enslin moved to Maine in 1960 and lived in Washington County, working at odd jobs and making and selling handmade walking sticks. The Maine landscape forms an integral part of his poetry, as does the isolation, both geographic and in terms of distance from literary fashion and the academy his life on the physical margin of the United States allows. Ranger 1978 is one of the key American long poems of the second half of the 20th century.

Enslin died in Milbridge, Maine, in 2011.

Publications

Poetry

• The Work Proposed. Ashland, MA: Origin Press, 1958.
• The Place Where I Am Standing: Poems. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1964.
• This Do. Mexico: Ediciones El Corno Emplumado, 1966.
• To Come, To Have Become: Poems, 1961-1966. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1966.
• New Sharon's Prospect & Journals. San Francisco: Coyote's Journal, 1966.
• The Four Temperaments. Patteville, WI: 1966.
• Characters in Certain Places. Prensa da Lagar, Portugal: Wine Press, 1967.
• The Diabelli Variations, and other poems. Annandale-on-Hudson, NY: Kelly, 1967.
• Agreement and Back: Sequences. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1969.
• Forms 1-5. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1970-1974.
• Views 1-7 Berkeley, CA: Maya, 1970; San Francisco: Cranium Press, 1970; Meltzer, 1970.
• The Poems. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1970.
• The Country of Our Consciousness. Berkeley, CA: J. Shoemaker, 1971.
• Etudes. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1972.
• Sitio. Hanover, NH: Granite Press, 1973.
• The Swamp Fox. Dennis, MA: Salt-Works Press, 1973.
• Views. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1973.
• In the Keeper's House. Dennis, MA: Salt-Works Press, 1973.
• With Light Reflected: Poems, 1970-1972. Fremont, MI: Sumac Press, 1973.
• The Mornings. Berkeley, CA: Shaman Drum, 1974.
• Dr. Takamura, Eiko and I. Bowling Green, OH: Tribal Press, 1974.
• Fever Poems. Brunswick, ME: Blackberry, 1974.
• Some Pastorals: A New Year's cycle for Jake. Dennis, MA: Salt-Works Press, 1975.
• Mahler. Los Angeles, CA: Black Sparrow, 1975.
• Ländler. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1975.
• The Median Flow: Poems, 1943-1973. Los Angeles: Black Sparrow, 1975.
• Synthesis 1-24. Plainfield, VT: North Atlantic Books, 1975.
• The July Book. Berkeley, CA: Sand Dollar, 1976.
• Carmina. Dennis, MA: Salt-Works Press, 1976.
• Papers. New Rochelle, NY: Elizabeth Press, 1976.
• Ascensions. Santa Barbara, CA: Black Sparrow, 1977.
• Ranger CXXII & CXXVIII. Rhinebeck, NY: Station Hill, 1977.
• Circles. Lewiston, ME: Great Raven Press, 1977.
• Concentrations. Dennis, MA: Salt-Works Press, 1977.
• The Further Regions. Milwaukee, WI: Pentagram Press, 1977.
• Ranger (long poem). (2 volumes), Richmond, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1978.
  • complete & corrected edition, Richmond, CA: North Atlantic Books, 1980.
• Tailings. Milwaukee, WI: Pentagram Press, 1978.
• Occurrence: An Issue of Theodore Enslin. Lansdowne, PA: J. Wilson, 1978.
• 16 Blossoms in February. Brunswick, NJ: Blackberry, 1978.
• May Fault. Fort Kent, ME: Great Raven Press, 1979.
• Opus 31, no. 3. Markesan, WI: Pentagram Press, 1979.
• Opus O. Milwaukee, WI: Membrane Press, 1979.
• 2 Plus 12. Dennis, MA: Salt-Works Press, 1979.
• The Fifth Direction. Markeson, WI: Pentagram Press, 1980.
• The Flare of Beginning Is in November. Brooklyn: J. Davies, 1980.
• Spells. Rhinebeck, NY: Station Hil Press, 1980.
• Star Anise. Markeson, WI: Pentagram Press, 1980.
• Two Geese: Two poems. Markesan, WI: Pentagram Press, 1980.
• Madrigal. Markeson, WI: Pentagram Press, [1980?]
• In Duo Concertante. Markeson, WI: Pentagram Press, 1981.
• What Little Snow There is Has Failed Us. Willimantic, CT: Ziesling, 1981.
• Axes 52. Willimantic, CT: Ziesling, 1981.
• Markings. Milwaukee, WI: Membrane Press, 1981.
• Processionals. Vineyard Haven, MA: Salt-Works Press, 1981.
• September’s Bonfire. Needham, MA: Potes & Poets Press, 1981.
• "F.P.". Willimantic, CT: Ziesling, 1982.
• On Going Past. Willimantic, CT: Ziesing, 1982.
• Meditations on Varied Grounds. Hartford, CT: Potes & Poets Press, 1982.
• A Man in Stir. Markesan, WI: Pentagram Press, 1983.
• Songs w/out Notes. Granada, MS: Salt-Works Press, 1984.
• Gray Days. 1984.
• The Weather Within. Madison, WI: Landlocked Press, 1985.
• Meeting at Jal. Hobbs, NM: Southwestern American Literature Association, 1985.
• For Mr. Walters: Master Mechanic. Warrenville, CT: Shirt Pocket Press, 1985.
• Music for Several Occasions. Milwaukee, WI: Membrane Press, 1985.
• I Am You Are. Brattleboro, VT: Green River, [1985?]
• The Path Between. South Harpswell, ME: Blackberry, 1986.
• The Waking of the Eye (1986)
• Case Book. Elmwood, CT: Potes & Poets Press, 1987.
• Six Pavannes. 1987.
• From Near the Great Pine. Peoria, IL: Spoon River Poetry Press, 1988.
• Idyll. Newington, CT: Blue Moon Press, 1989.
• Love and Science. Kenosha, WI: Light & Dust Books, 1990.
• Six Music Lessons. Brattleboro, VT: Longhouse, 1990.
• Little Wandering Flake of Snow (with Bob Arnold & Alec Finlay). Edinburgh: Morning Star Publications, 1991.
• Re-Soundings 1-8. Charleston, IL: Tel-let, 1991.
• Gamma-ut. Charleston, IL: Tel-let, 1992.
• A Folder for LN. Brattleboro, VT: Longhouse, 1993.
• Mad Songs. E. Holden, ME: Backwoods Broadsides, 1995.
• Music in the Key of C: Part 5. Blue Creek, OH: Bloody Twin Press, 1995.
• Propositions for John Taggart. Charleston, IL: Tel-let, 1996.
• Communitas. Hobbs, NM: Writers on the Prairie, 1996.
• Thumbprint on Landscape. Charleston, IL: Tel-let, 1997.
• Bystander. Brattleboro, VT: Longhouse, [1997?]
• Conversations. Brooklyn, NY : Meeting Eyes Bindery / Poetry New York, 1998.
• Skeins. Brattleboro, VT: Longhouse-Origin, 1998.
• Sequentiae. London: Stop Press, 1999.
• Re-Sounding: Selected later poems. Jersey City, NJ: Talisman House, 1999.
• Then and Now: Selected poems, 1943-1993. Orono, ME: National Poetry Foundation, 1999.
• The Roads around Jenkins. Lawrence, KS: First Intensity Press, 2000.
• In Tandem. London: Stop Press, 2001.
• Nine. Orono, ME: National Poetry Foundation, 2004.
• Between. Buffalo, NY: University Libraries, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 2005.

Fiction

• I, Benjamin: A quasi-autobiographical novella. Kingston, NY: McPherson, 2010.

Translated

• Fragments: Epigrammata (translations of Pindar & Callimachus). Vineyard Haven, MA: Salt-Works Press, 1982.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of U.S. poets

References

Archives

The Theordore Enslin Papers are housed in the Fales Library at New York University.

External links

Poems

• "The Glass Harmonica"
• Theodore Enslin at the Poetry Foundation
• 3 sequences from "The House of the Golden Windows"
• from Ranger
• from Forms

About

• Theodore Enslin obituary at The Guardian.
• "With Great Respect: Theodore Enslin, 1925-2011" at the Poetry Foundation}}
• Interview with Theodore Enslin by Robert Bertholf

Etc.

• The Fales Library guide to the Theodore Enslin Papers