News & Reviews

WORD: Poet Craig Arnold 1967-2009

The mystery of what happened to award-winning poet Craig Arnold has been solved and unfortunately it's not good news. Arnold died after falling off a cliff while hiking on the Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu, according to the University of Wyoming, where he was a professor in the English Literature department.

Arnold, who authored two volumes of poetry including "Shells," chosen for the prestigious Yale Series of Younger Poets in 1999, and "Made Flesh" (2008), was researching volcanoes in Japan for a book he was writing.

The disappearance of Arnold, whose poetry was anthologized in several volumes of the Best American Poetry Series, resulted in a private search after Japanese officials withdrew after several days scouring the island. The private search party discovered his body on Friday, UW said.

"Knowing Craig has enriched our lives and losing him is devastating," said Peter Parolin, head of the UW English department, in a press release. "We will remember him always and will have a time in the near future to celebrate his life and his beautiful work."

WORD'N'BASS.com sends condolences to Arnold's family and his fiance. RIP.

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