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A Literary Turn

While working on his Master of Fine Arts in 1967, the Irish poet and writer James McAuley wrote reviews for The Traveler of a couple of theatrical productions held at the Greek Theatre, generally panning them. He also wrote a review of Arkansas writing, including the works of William Harrison, Edsel Ford, Miller Williams and James Whitehead.

McAuley's thesis was also written during this period and eventually published as Draft Balance Sheet: Poems 1963-1969 by Dolmen Press in Dublin and distributed by Oxford University Press. Among others, two more of his books of poetry have been published by the University of Arkansas Press: Coming & Going: New and Selected Poems in 1989 and Meditations, With Distractions: Poems 1988-98 in 2001.

McAuley taught at Eastern Washington University, where he is a professor emeritus of English and former director of its creative writing program.

The Arkansas Traveler. September 18, 1967.