Carlos Reyes, an incurable world traveler, considers himself a poet of place, taking inspiration from any landscape where he finds himself. His writing is informed by the places he has lived — Missouri, the Pacific Northwest, Maine, Arizona — and by the places and people he has visited in Europe, South America, and Asia. Carlos has been fortunate enough to spend extended periods of time writing in these locales, and many of his books reflect his travels.
from Carolyn Kizer:
Mr. Reyes is one of our local and national treasures. His poetry is as clear and strong as his social conscience. One is always struck by his sensual and sensory qualities: the touch, taste, feel, color of things, and his ability to capture a mood, a world, in a handful of lines.
from Vern Rutsala:
Quietly and steadily Carlos Reyes has been writing some of the finest poetry of his generation.
POET-IN-RESIDENCE
Carlos has had writing residencies in the United States (Yaddo, Joshua Tree National Park, Acadia National Park, Devil’s Tower National Monument, Island Institute in Alaska, and Catoctin Mountain National Park); in Ireland (Heinrich Boll fellowship); Spain (Fundación Valparaíso); France (CAMAC Centre d’Art); and India.
PUBLISHER
In 1971, Carlos started Trask House Books, a small independent press that published poetry books, chapbooks, and broadsides. Some of the poets he published are Robert Duncan, Marvin Bell, Jane Hirshfield, Tess Gallagher, Paulann Petersen, Peter Sears, Christopher Howell, Vern Rutsala, Alice Derry, Yannis Ritsos, Ger Killeen, Martin Espada, Gloria Bird, Patricia Geodicke, Clem Starck, Sandra Williams, Phil Garrison, and more.
TEACHER
Carlos started his professional academic career teaching Spanish at the University of Maine. He then moved back to Oregon, where he taught Spanish and Italian at Portland State University. After he and PSU parted ways, the rest of Carlos’ teaching experience consisted of writing workshops at the graduate level and Writers-in-the-Schools residencies throughout Oregon, Washington, and Nevada.
The Poetry of Carlos Reyes 