Born in Moultrie, Georgia on June 27th, 1947, Charlie Smith is a poet and novelist known for his “lush” language about the Southern landscape, whisking stories that incorporate voices from his personal youth. Many critics describe his writing style similar to John Ashbery and Charles Wright.
Smith earned his BA in English and philosophy from Duke University and an MFA from the University of Iowa. He went on to be a newspaper writer and editor, businessman, farmer, and laborer. From 1968-1970, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Micronesia.
Crystal Rivers: Three Novellas (1991), one of Smith’s most awarded works, explores themes of spiritual journeys, and absent fathers and ineffective mothers. Smith’s poetry and novels explore similar themes of memories, loneliness, brotherhood, and the sadness and defiance of families falling apart.
Smith has won numerous awards for his works, including the Aga Khan Prize from The Paris Review for Crystal Rivers, the National Poetry Series Award in 1987, the Levinson Prize from Poetry Magazine, and the Great Lakes New Poets Award in 1988, both for Red Roads. He is a member of PEN and the Academy of American Poets. He has written five New York Times Notable Books, and has received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Poetry Society of America from 1992-1996.
Smith taught Creative Writing at the University of Alabama and Princeton University. He currently lives in New York City.