Wilson, Keith, 1927-2009

Keith Wilson born on December 26, 1927 in Clovis, New Mexico. Wilson attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated with a B.S. degree in 1950. He was commissioned as a lieutenant and is a combat veteran of the Korean War serving from 1950-1953. He served three tours of duty. Upon his retirement from regular commission in 1954, Wilson returned to New Mexico. He later received a M.A. in English from the University of New Mexico. Over the next ten years Wilson taught at the University of Nevada in Reno and the University of Arizona in Tucson. He also worked in a position as a technical writer before accepting an assistant professor position at New Mexico State University in 1965. He received full professorship in 1976, and was poet-in-residence until his retirement in 1987. Among his noteworthy publications is "Graves Registry," which was nominated for the National Book Award in 1992. Wilson was a visiting poet in the United States and abroad. He has remained active in the New Mexico arts community and is currently Professor Emeritus of English at New Mexico State University and continues to write and publish.

From the description of Keith Wilson papers, 1957-2003. (New Mexico State University). WorldCat record id: 57517942

Keith Wilson, poet and Professor of English, was born in Clovis, New Mexico, in 1927. He joined the Navy in 1946 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1950 with an undergraduate degree in engineering. In 1956, Wilson completed a Master of Arts degree in English, at the University of New Mexico. He taught at the University of Arizona and New Mexico State University, retiring in 1988. Wilson has published twenty-seven books of poetry. He describes his writing as 'emotional geography.' The poetry often focuses on personal growth within southwestern landscapes. He also writes about New Mexico's tri-ethnic heritage, or, its Hispanic, Anglo, and Native American cultural make-up.

From the description of While dancing feet shatter the earth : manuscript, [197-?]. (University of New Mexico-Main Campus). WorldCat record id: 46734545

Keith Wilson, poet and Professor of English, was born in Clovis, New Mexico, in 1927. He joined the Navy in 1946 and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1950 with an undergraduate degree in engineering. Wilson served three tours in Korea before resigning his commission in 1954. In 1956, Wilson completed a Master of Arts degree in English, at the University of New Mexico. Wilson's academic and teaching career started in 1958 at the University of Arizona, Tucson, where he taught English until 1960. In 1965, he was hired by New Mexico State University as Professor of English and Poet-in-Residence, and he taught there until his retirement in 1988. He remains associated with NMSU as Professor Emeritus and lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Wilson has published twenty-seven books of poetry. He describes his writing as 'emotional geography.' The poetry often focuses on personal growth within southwestern landscapes. He also writes about New Mexico's tri-ethnic heritage, or, its Hispanic, Anglo, and Native American cultural make-up.

From the guide to the Keith Wilson's While Dancing Feet Shattered the Earth Manuscript, [197-?], (University of New Mexico. Center for Southwest Research.)

Keith Wilson is a native New Mexican poet and short story writer renowned for his writing and poetry on the Southwest. He was born on December 26, 1927 in Clovis, New Mexico. Wilson attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated with a B.S. degree in 1950. He was commissioned as a lieutenant and is a combat veteran of the Korean War. Wilson served in that War from 1950-1953. He served three tours of duty and received the Presidential Unit Citation, Korean Service Medal (5 battle stars), United Nations Service Medal, Occupation Medal with Asian Clasp, and the China Service Medal. He was given the Appreciation Medal of the Republic of South Korea for his service in 2001.

Upon his retirement from regular commission in 1954, Wilson returned to New Mexico. He later received a M.A. in English from the University of New Mexico. Over the next ten years Wilson taught at the University of Nevada in Reno and the University of Arizona in Tucson. He also worked in a position as a technical writer before accepting an assistant professor position at New Mexico State University in 1965. He received full professorship in 1976, and was poet-in-residence until his retirement in 1987. His work has been translated into Spanish, German, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Indonesian, and Japanese.

Wilson's body of work is widely recognized by the international literary community, and has won numerous awards. Among his noteworthy publications are Graves Registry, which was nominated for the National Book Award in 1992. He was nominated for the Lamont Prize in 1969, and finished as runner-up in the competition for this award. Wilson was also recognized for his contribution to American letters when he was named a Knight of Mark Twain for his "outstanding contributions to American literature."

During his tenure at New Mexico State University, Wilson received several fellowships and awards. These include the D.H. Lawrence Fellowship, P.E.N.-America Center Writing Grant, a National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship, a Senior Fulbright-Hays Fellowship (Romania, 1974-1975), the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, The Authors of the Pass, a Western States Arts Foundation Book Award, a P.E.N.-West Book Award, and The Border Book Festival's El Premio Fronterizo Award in 1998. He also received the Westhafer Teaching Award from New Mexico State University in 1972, the first awarded by the University to a professor in the creative arts. Wilson was a visiting poet in the United States and abroad, including the University of Kansas, Utah State University, as well as the Universities of Sibiu and Cluj-Napoca in Romania. Wilson also returned to his alma mater, the United States Naval Academy, as Distinguished Visiting Writer in Fall 1998. He was also a Visiting Poet at the 12th Annual William Joiner Writers Conference held at the University of Massachusetts in Boston in 1999. He again attended the Joiner Conference in 2001.

In addition, Wilson has also served as visiting director for workshops at the University of New Mexico, Bowling Green State University, State University of New York-Cortland, Utah State University, and the Banff Art Centre in Alberta, Canada. He has remained active in the New Mexico arts community as a member of the Rio Grande Institute, and as former Master Poet for New Mexico Poetry-in-the-Schools Program. This was a program that Wilson pioneered throughout New Mexico and Arizona. His presence as a writer is also recognized through his role as a consultant for the National Endowment for the Arts to Voice of America in 1975. He also served as a consultant to the Coordinating Council for Literary Magazines (CCLM) from 1972-1974.

Wilson is currently Professor Emeritus of English at New Mexico State University and continues to write and publish.

From the guide to the Keith Wilson Papers, 1957-2003, (Archives and Special Collections Department. New Mexico State University Library.)