Stephen Dobyns is a highly accomplished author, poet, and journalist. He was born in New Jersey and moved around frequently in his childhood, living in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Michigan. This nomadic upbringing may have contributed to the diverse and richly textured settings that feature prominently in his work.
Dobyns' educational background is equally impressive, having been educated at Shimer College, graduating from Wayne State University, and receiving an MFA from the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1967. His journalistic experience, which includes working as a reporter for the Detroit News, has had a significant influence on his writing style. Dobyns is known for his straightforward narrative voice of reason, which is evident in his poetry, non-genre fiction, and journalistic work.
Throughout his career, Dobyns has received numerous accolades and awards for his contributions to literature. These include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Guggenheim Foundation. In addition to his work as a reporter and poet, Dobyns has also worked as a reviewer for various prestigious publications and has taught at several academic institutions, including Sarah Lawrence College, Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, the University of Iowa, Syracuse University, and Boston University. He is the author of numerous novels, poetry collections, essays, and short stories, including "The Day's Last Light Reddens the Leaves of the Copper Beech" (BOA Editions, 2016). Dobyns currently resides in Westerly, Rhode Island.