Eshleman family

Biography

Clayton Eshleman, reknowned poet, translator, and editor, was born June 1, 1935, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the only child of Gladys and Ira Eshleman. His childhood was spent in Indianapolis,and he attended the University of Indiana. After graduating from the university, he travelled to Mexico, Central and South America, and Japan.

During his early years, Eshleman was a musician, boy scout, and football star. He first majored in Music at Indiana University but eventually changed his program to Philosophy, earning a degree in that field in 1958. In 1961 he received a Master of Arts for Teachers from Indiana University, married Barbara Novak, and had his first book of poetry, MEXICO AND NORTH, published. Eshleman spent the next three years in Japan, teaching and studying. In 1965 the Eshlemans moved to Lima, Peru, where their son Matthew was born in 1966. That same year, the family moved to New York City, and soon after, Eshleman separated from his wife and child.

From the guide to the Eshleman Family Papers, 1890 - 1985, (University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.)