Robert Nordstrom was raised in Ohio, where as a child he climbed trees in suburbia searching for a way up and out. After a stint in Viet Nam, a number of years sweating in front of restaurant kitchen broilers, a year in Paris with his wife Linda, he finally found his way to Wisconsin where he lived for 40 years until he and his wife moved to Oregon to be closer to children and grandchildren.
For over 30 years he worked as an editor and writer for various trade and scholarly publications and taught writing at the university level. After retiring he drove a school bus for several years teaching high schoolers how to respond when an adult says good morning and kindergarteners that it’s probably best they not lick the seat in front of them.
Nordstrom’s poetry, essays and fiction have appeared in numerous national and regional literary publications. His poetry has received awards from the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and the Oregon Poetry Association. His poem “Old Lovers” won the 2014 Hal Prize, and his 2015 collection The Sacred Monotony of Breath garnered an award from the Council for Wisconsin Writers.
Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: Kelsay Books (September 27, 2023)
Award:
Oregon Poetry Association (Third Place, Fall 2021 Contest)