Coffield, Glen, 1917-1981

American poet.

Glenn Stemmons Coffield was born in Prescott, Arizona on June 5, 1917. He started writing poetry while a sophomore in high school. He attended Central Missouri State Teachers College in Warrensburg, Missouri where he became president of the English Club and edited the college literary magazine. In 1940 he received his B.S. degree in education, after which he did substitute teaching. During World War II Coffield declared himself a conscientious objector and was placed in a Civilian Public Service camp. In 1942 or 1943 he was transferred to CPS Camp #56 at Waldport, Oregon and became the activities coordinator of the "Fine Arts Group." After the war, Coffield did private study at the Hopwood Poetry Library of the University of Michigan and in 1945-1947 acted in theater groups in San Francisco. In 1947 he moved back to Oregon and started the Grudtvig Folk School on the Columbia River Gorge. In 1960 Coffield started publication of his literary quarterly The Creative review and in 1961 he began graduate studies at the University of Oregon. In the mid-sixties he was involved in a serious accident and experienced complications from those injuries for the remainder of his life. Coffield died on June 17, 1981 at the age of 64 at Missouri State Chest Hospital.

Glen Coffield (1917-1981) was a poet, teacher, and World War II conscientious objector, born in Prescott, Arizona (June 15, 1917). Coffield attended Central Missouri State Teachers College, where he played basketball and pursued his interest in writing as president of the English Club and editor of the literary review. After being given conscientious objector status, Coffield spent much of the World War II at the Waldport, Oregon Civilian Public Service Camp where he was activities coordinator and editor of the camp's underground newsletter, "The Untide." After the war Coffield did some acting in San Francisco, and from 1947-1954 ran the Grundtvig Folk School near Eagle Creek, Oregon. As a part of his Grundtvig Folk School experiment, Coffield published numerous mimeographed serials and books of poetry including: The Bridge, the Creative Advertiser, Creative Review, Creativity Newsletter, Golden Gate, Grundtvig Review, and Western Bookman. In the 1960s Coffield moved back to San Francisco, where he was severely injured in a hit and run accident. Coffield spent the rest of his life in Missouri. Throughout his life, particularly during the period in Oregon and San Francisco, Coffield published his own writings, as well as a series of small literary journals. Throughout his life, Coffield remained close with fellow C.O.'s, Kemper Nomland and William Stafford.

Glen Stemmons Coffield was born in Prescott, Arizona on June 5, 1917. He started writing poetry while a sophomore in high school. After high school (around 1935), he attended Central Missouri State Teachers College (CMSTC) in Warrensburg, Missouri. Soon after entering the college, he became president of the English Club and edited Spring Flight, the college literary magazine. Coffield also played on a national championship basketball team while in college. In 1940 Coffield received his B.S. degree in education from CMSTC.

At the start of WWII Coffield declared himself a conscientious objector and the Selective Service placed him in the Civilian Public Service Camp (CPS Camp) program. The CPS Camps for conscientious objectors were largely administered by the “Historical Peace Churches”: Mennonites, Brethren and Friends (Quakers). Coffield was initially placed first in CPS Camp #7 in Magnolia, Arkansas; while there, he contributed poetry to the camp newsletter Peace Pathways . Late in 1942 or early in 1943 Coffield was transferred to CPS Camp #56 at Waldport, Oregon. The Waldport Camp was home to the “Fine Arts Group,” of which Coffield became the activities coordinator. Other artists who stayed at Waldport were book designer Adrian Wilson, architect Kemper Nomland, Kermit Sheets (founder of “Interplayers,” the San Francisco theater group), poet Kenneth Patchen, painter Morris Graves, novelist Henry Miller, and poet William Everson (Brother Antoninus). The Waldport Camp gained national attention with the founding of the Untide Press by Harold Macket, Everson, and Coffield; its motto was: “What is not Tide is Untide” ( Tide was the name of Camp Waldport’s official newsletter). Untide Press published two of Coffield’s books of poems: The Horned Moon and Ultimatum, as well as William Everson’s book of poems, X War Elegie .

After the war Coffield studied privately at the Hopwood Poetry Library of the University of Michigan. From 1945 to 1947 he acted in three little theater groups in San Francisco. In 1947 he moved back to Oregon and started the Grundtvig Folk School, a "humanist school in the woods," on the Columbia Gorge near Eagle Creek. This lasted until 1954, after which Coffield attended Portland State College for one summer session, and continued his studies at the Hopwood Poetry Library. In 1960, Coffield started the publication of his literary quarterly The Creative Review, while in 1961 he began additional graduate studies in Poetry and Criticism at the University of Oregon. He finished his graduate studies in 1964, after which he started publication of The Creativity Newsletter .

In 1964 Coffield spent some time in San Francisco, where he was the House Manager of the Firehouse Repertory Opera Company until 1966. While in San Francisco, probably late in 1965 or early 1966, Coffield was knocked into the air by a hit-and-run driver. Coffield developed blood clots in his brain, heart, lungs, and right leg, and complications from his injuries resulted in his partial crippling. After the accident he moved back to Carthage, Missouri. Due to his injuries, Coffield did not resume working on his publications until late in 1968. Late in 1972, Coffield's mother became very ill; Coffield took care of her and her house, which left him little time for his poetry projects. His mother died on Aug. 1, 1973.

Shortly after her death Coffield experienced further health complications which totally disabled him for another year and a half. It was June 1975 before Coffield was able to work on his publications. For the rest of his life he needed crutches. Coffield died at the age of 64 at Missouri State Chest Hospital on June 17, 1981, shortly after his admission there.

Coffield's lifelong activities were mainly writing poetry, publishing poetry periodicals, providing submitted poetry with comments, suggestions, and critiques, and the promotion of poetry in general. He also painted (especially during his period in San Francisco); however, none of his paintings are included in this collection. He painted and sold over a thousand pieces, including one titled 500 Views of San Francisco . His paintings have been shown in art exhibits, including the Civic Center Art Show in San Francisco. Coffield also wrote a few plays, wrote the words for two musical comedies, composed music for an opera ( The Sleeping Beauty ), and composed sixty jazz symphonies.

Some people called Glen Coffield the first hippie. A photo of him presents the startling image of a white Rastafarian with long tangled locks, full beard and intense eyes. He is represented in the poetry section of We, the People (the yearbook of public opinion), Who's Who in Poetry in America, Poetry Digest, and Living Ozark Authors, besides his many books and publications.