Featured on March 20, 1999

Barbara Drake received a BA from the University of Oregon in 1961, an MFA in 1966. She taught at the Department of American Thought and Language at Michigan State University from 1974 through 1983, was a visiting writer at Lewis & Clark College 1979-80 and 1982-83, and at Whitman College. She’s taught guest courses at Willamette University and Southern Oregon Community College, and since 1983 has been teaching writing and literature at Linfield College where she is a full professor in the English Department. Her teaching specialties include creative writing, Irish literature, American women writers, and environmental literature.

Her nonfiction book, Peace At Heart: An Oregon Country Life, was published by Oregon State University Press in 1998. Her books of poetry include Love At The Egyptian Theatre, Life In A Gothic Novel, What We Say To Strangers, Bees In Wet Weather, and Space Before A. She also wrote the textbook, Writing Poetry and is co-author of Concepts in Literature for grades 7-12.

Barbara Drake’s poetry and prose has appeared in numerous anthologies including the Prescott Street Reader, The Plain Truth of Things, O Poetry! and The Sumac Reader. Her articles, poetry, fiction and reviews appeared in Northwest Magazine, North American Review, Northwest Review, Centennial Review, Western Humanities Review, Green House, and Wormwood Review.

Barbara was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Graduation Award in 1966, a Northwest Arts Foundation grant to study British poetry in England during the summer of 1985, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1986, and the Edith Green Distinguished Professor Award from Linfield College in 1993.

She lives on a small farm in the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range with her husband. They raise wine grapes and Romney sheep. She has eight adult children and six grandchildren. Her interests include photography, travel, hiking and art.