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Clemens Starck

クレメンス・スターク

Clemens Starck

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1937-11-30
Died
2024-03-21 （Dallas, Oregon, United States） age 86
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Oregon, United States → Dallas, Oregon, United States

Career

Occupations
Poet, Carpenter
Active Years
2024
Influenced
FisherPoets Gathering (inspired founders)

Awards

William Stafford Memorial Poetry Award
1996
Result: 受賞
Oregon Book Award
1996
Work: Journeyman's Wages
Organization: Literary Arts
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Journeyman’s Wages

1995 Poetry

A collection of poems focusing on labor and craft; widely regarded and awarded the Oregon Book Award.

laborcraftwork

Studying Russian on Company Time

1999 Poetry

Poems that explore details of workplace and everyday life.

workplacedaily life

China Basin

2002 Poetry

A book of poems addressing regional identity and labor.

regionwork

Traveling Incognito

2004 Poetry

Poems on travel, anonymity, and the journey of life.

travelanonymity

Rembrandt, Chainsaw

2011 Poetry

Contains poems juxtaposing art and tools, exploring contrasts.

arttoolscontrast

Old Dogs, New Tricks

2016 Poetry

A collection about aging, change, and habits.

agingchange

Cathedrals and Parking Lots: Collected Poems

2018 Poetry (Collected)

A collected poems volume focusing on Pacific Northwest work; published as part of a regional series.

Pacific Northwestlaborregional identity

Bibliography

  • Journeyman’s Wages (Story Line Press, 1995)
  • Studying Russian on Company Time (Silverfish Review Press, 1999)
  • China Basin (Story Line Press, 2002)
  • Traveling Incognito (Wood Works, 2004)
  • Rembrandt, Chainsaw (Wood Works, 2011)
  • Old Dogs, New Tricks (Oblio, 2016)
  • Cathedrals and Parking Lots: Collected Poems (Empty Bowl, 2018)
  • Audio: Looking for Parts (CD, 2008)
  • Audio: Getting It Straight (CD, 2013)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Plainspoken, conversational free verseRealist focus on detailed depictions of labor and everyday life
Recurring Motifs
laborhandcraft (carpentry)Pacific Northwest landscapestools and machineryfellowship and community

Legacy

Known as a 'carpenter-poet,' Starck influenced Pacific Northwest letters with poems about work and craft. He inspired the FisherPoets Gathering and is highly regarded in regional poetry communities.

Archives

  • Yale LUX Collections (person entry)
  • Authority control entries (VIAF, ISNI, GND, etc.)

In Popular Culture

  • Inspired the FisherPoets Gathering (mentioned by founders and incorporated into festival culture)

Quotes

  • poems in my head, a hammer in my hand
    Source: Durable Goods: Appreciations of Oregon Poets (chapter title) (2017)

Trivia

  • Known as a 'carpenter-poet' due to his background as a carpenter
  • Several poems, including 'One of the Locals,' were read by Garrison Keillor
  • Cited as an inspiration for the founding of the FisherPoets Gathering