Philip Levine, Former Fresno State Professor, Named U.S Poet Laureate

Mr. Levine, all of your former students are rejoicing with you! It is time that the country and the world find your works! All along, we have known what kind of work you have produced! Now the secret is out! Enjoy it to the fullest!

In 1995, Philip Levine earned a Pulitzer price for this poem, "The Simple Truth," which was based on his life experiences in Fresno. It includes the portrait of a Polish woman who used to sell produce at the corner of Fruit and Ashlan. It has been reported that the ex-Fresno State student started writing poetry as a teenager in Detroit.
"Levine began writing as a teenager in Detroit. He was inspired by poems about real life in cities and life on the battlefield during World War II.

Levine taught at Fresno State for years. He had many students there. He also taught at other prestigious universities all around the country. Philip Levine taught at Columbia, Brown and New York University. We are saying congratulations to him!

Who said that Fresno could not nurture somebody who would go on to impact the whole country and the world? Besides producing all kinds of fruit and being recognized as the fruit basket of the world, Fresno also grows great poetry. It inspires people to write poems. (Just take a look at the bottom of this page to see some of the Fresno-inspired poetry)

Philip Levine writes about the working class in his poetry. He writes about what he knows. Detroit. Born of Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Levine saw men and women giving their sweat to be able to eat.

Levine's goal is to engage the mass by taking poetry to them, "I want to bring poetry to people who have no idea how relevant poetry is to their lives,"


What does Professor Levine intend to do with the prize and the attention he is getting on a global basis now?

He jokes that he is going to use his bully pulpit or the spotlight to bring attention to other poets who are not known by poetry readers and the rest of the world!

That is the sign of true altruism. He is thinking about helping others, just like he has done with so many former students at Fresno State, Columbia and anywhere else. He also wants to bring attention to the plight of the working class, the kind of people who people his books of poetry.

Keep writing poetry, Mr. Levine! The U.S. and the rest of the world need to hear from you!