Interview with Poet and Author, Curtis L. Crisler

Curtis L. Crisler was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. He received a BA in English, with a minor in Theatre, from Indiana University Purdue University, and received his MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His books are Pulling Scabs (Willow Books; nominated for a Pushcart), Tough Boy Sonatas (Wordsong) and Dreamist, a YA mixed-genre novel (Aquarius Press). He edited the nonfiction book,Leaving Me Behind: Writing a new me, and his Spill won the 2008 Keyhole Chapbook Award from Keyhole Press. He is an Associate Professor of English at (IPFW), and the recipient of fellowships from Cave Canem, Soul Mountain, guest resident at Hamline University, the recipient of the Sterling Plumpp First Voices Poetry Award, an Indiana Arts Commission Grant, the Eric Hoffer Award, and nominated for the Eliot Rosewater Award.

His forthcoming collection of poetry is "This" Ameri-can-ah (2015, Cherry Castle Publishing).