Michael Meyerhofer

Michael Meyerhofer is a contemporary poet and fiction writer. He was born in Iowa in 1977, received his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Iowa in 2000, and his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2006. He currently teaches at Ball State University.^[1]

Poetry Publications

Meyerhofer’s first book of poems, Leaving Iowa, won the Liam Rector First Book Award from Briery Creek Press in 2006.^[2] The book was hailed by notable poets and critics including Rodney Jones, Allison Joseph, and Karen Craigo. Said Rodney Jones: “Meyerhofer has the inner resources and the craft to address worlds imagined and ideal, but he insists on writing chiefly of this one, and he does it fearlessly, making neither warmth nor anger…. He reminds me of a young James Wright. He reveals the heart as do few other poets who have suffered an education.”^[3] Joseph called Leaving Iowa “…the start of a career that will mean much to those readers of poetry in search of a writer who will never falter in telling them the hard yet gorgeous truths of life.”^[3] Said Craigo, “What is striking about [Leaving Iowa] is its unabashed confessionalism. But it is confessionalism that has an effect on the reader—not just the effect of catharsis for the writer, like so many poems that tread into personal black waters.”^[4]

Meyerhofer’s second book of poems, Blue Collar Eulogies, was published by Steel Toe Books in 2009. The book won the praise of poets George Bilgere and Dorianne Laux. Said Bilgere, “Meyerhofer’s tough, lovely poems remind us that the aim of being human… is to rise above ourselves, to take this sorry predicament and turn it into something shining and valuable.”^[5] Added Laux, “I like these poems, kinetic and half-crazed, they remind me that poetry is an explosion, that energy plus mass equals a dark magic.”^[6]

Meyerhofer has also published four poetry chapbooks, all through contests. His first, Cardboard Urn, won the Copperdome Chapbook Contest from Southeast Missouri State University Press in 2005.^[7] His second, The Right Madness of Beggars, won the 3rd Annual Uccelli Press Chapbook Competition from Uccelli Press in 2006.^[8] His third, Real Courage, won the Terminus Magazine and Jeanne Duval Editions Poetry Chapbook Prize in 2007.^[9] His fourth, The Clay-Shaper’s Husband, won the Codhill Press Chapbook Award from Codhill Press in 2008.^[10]

Meyerhofer has also won numerous other poetry awards, including the Annie Finch Prize for Poetry from National Poetry Review in 2006,^[11] the James Wright Poetry Award from Mid-American Review in 2006,^[12] the Laureate Prize for Poetry (also from National Poetry Review) in 2007,^[11] and the Marjorie J. Wilson Best Poem Contest from MARGIE in 2009.^[13]

Meyerhofer’s work has also been praised by other poets, including Thomas Lux and Djelloul Marbrook. Said Thomas Lux, “Sometimes, Michael Meyerhofer’s poems are excruciatingly tender, the next moment (or poem) blistering satire, the next walk-into-a-wall funny. The one thing that’s predictable about his poems is that they are unpredictable. I think it’s almost time for the poets of my generation to start picking out chairs on the rest home porch. There’s a whole new generation coming up, and they mean business, and Meyerhofer is one of them. I will read every word he writes until I can read no more.”^[14] Said Marbrook, “…Meyerhofer is always the poet who sees what we don’t want to see precisely when we least want to see it. If there is a thing to be said that decorum would rather skirt, he is going to say it, and yet, curiously, he is not a poet you have to be up to. He comes upon you like weather.”^[15]

Meyerhofer’s poems have appeared in nationally recognized journals like Ploughshares,^[16] Rosebud,^[17] Atlanta Review,^[18] North American Review, Modern Haiku^[19] and Verse Daily.^[20]

Fiction Publications

Meyerhofer has also published science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction pieces in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine,^[21] Quick Fiction,^[22] Sentence,^[23] Planet Magazine,^[24] Absent Willow Review,^[25] Scythe Literary Review^[26] and other journals.^[27] He also published speculative fiction novellas.^[28]

External links

• troublewithhammers.com, Official Website
• Personal Blog

References

1. ^ Michael Meyerhofer. LinkedIn. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
2. ^ http://www.brierycreekpress.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=10
3. ^ ^{a b} Leaving Iowa (9780977447121): Michael Meyerhofer: Books. Amazon.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
4. ^ Bulletin Board: MFA Carbondale: Meyerhofer Reviewed in Mid-American Review. Mfacarbondale.blogspot.com (December 18, 2007). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
5. ^ Welcome to Steel Toe Books – book_reviews. Steeltoebooks.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
6. ^ Blue Collar Eulogies (9780982416907): Michael Meyerhofer: Books. Amazon.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
7. ^ Cardboard Urn. .semo.edu. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
8. ^ Bulletin Board: MFA Carbondale: March 2007. Mfacarbondale.blogspot.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
9. ^ Welcome to www.terminusmagazine.com. Terminusmagazine.com (June 19, 2011). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
10. ^ Michael Meyerhofer: Poet / Professor / All-Around Good Guy. Troublewithhammers.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
11. ^ ^{a b} About Blue Collar Eulogies by Michael Meyerhofer. Verse Daily. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
12. ^ Mid-American Review. Bgsu.edu. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
13. ^ http://www.margiereview.com/CONTEST_RESULTS/meyerhofer.html
14. ^ Michael Meyerhofer: Poet / Professor / All-Around Good Guy. Troublewithhammers.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
15. ^ » A poet who makes heroes of his editors. Djelloul Marbrook (June 20, 2009). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
16. ^ author detail. Pshares.org. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
17. ^ 2 Poems by Michael Meyerhofer. Splinter Generation (March 18, 2010). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
18. ^ Bulletin Board: MFA Carbondale: Congrats to Michael Meyerhofer (MFA '06, poetry). Mfacarbondale.blogspot.com (November 17, 2009). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
19. ^ Modern Haiku 36.2 Haibun. Modernhaiku.org. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
20. ^ About Michael Meyerhofer and The National Poetry Review. Versedaily.org. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
21. ^ TOC: Asimov's February 2010. SF Signal (December 23, 2009). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
22. ^ 14. Quick Fiction (December 14, 2008). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
23. ^ Firewheel Editions. Firewheel Editions (November 25, 2005). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
24. ^ Michael Meyerhofer. Planet Magazine. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
25. ^ Career Day, 2136 A.D. Absentwillowreview.com (July 15, 2009). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
26. ^ Scythe. Scytheliteraryjournal.yolasite.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
27. ^ Realms #2. Issuu.com (May 1, 2010). Retrieved on October 22, 2011.
28. ^ A Merchant's Luck. Bewilderingstories.com. Retrieved on October 22, 2011.

Persondata
Name	Meyerhofer, Michael
Alternative names
Short description	poet, professor
Date of birth	1977
Place of birth	Iowa
Date of death
Place of death