In 1968, young Stanley Plumly came to LSU’s Baton Rouge campus to teach creative writing. He stayed only a couple of years, but the connection changed his life. LSU Press published two of Plumly’s early poetry books, “In the Outer Dark” and “Giraffe,” attracting critical acclaim. Numerous collections followed.

Then came a long and distinguished academic career, including many years as a professor at the University of Maryland. Meanwhile, Plumly’s stature as a poet continued to grow.

When Plumly died in 2019 at 79, the world of letters took note, with The New York Times remembering him as a poet who “used rich language imbued with precise syntax in 11 volumes of poetry that often touched on aspects of his life, including growing up poor in rural Ohio; his alcoholic father, who became a mu

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