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Poets from Indiana, Ross Gay


I know, you all are like, what? Nope, not Indiana. But wait! Yes, I know Ross Gay was not born in Indiana but next door in Ohio. I also know that he spent most of his life outside Indiana. Still, he's been at IUB since 2007, so he's had a long stint here, and he's clearly become important to Bloomington life, so yes, Indiana poet. And honestly, with his sense of joy, awareness of the actual landscape and plants, and care for human life, I'd say Indiana is lucky to have him guiding the next wave of poets.  

Take a look at this excerpt from a well-known poem of his, "Poem to My Child, If Ever You Shall Be." You can find the entire poem on the Poetry Foundation site. 

Would you curse me my careless caressing you
into this world or would you rise up
 
and, mustering all your strength into that tiny throat
which one day, no doubt, would grow big and strong,
 
scream and scream and scream until you break the back of one injustice,
or at least get to your knees to kiss back to life
 
some roadkill?

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