Nothing Stays Put

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At sixty-three, Amy Clampitt published her first book of poems, catapulting from obscurity to prominence in American poetry until her death in 1994. This study explores her journey as a late bloomer, examining both her poetry and the lifetime it took to find her voice. In her poem "Beach Glass," Clampitt reflects on the ocean's vastness, a sentiment echoed by her biographer, Willard Spiegelman. He reveals Clampitt's brilliance, progressive ideals, and boundless curiosity, tracing her roots as an Iowan Quaker born into a farming family in 1920. Spiegelman analyzes her intricate, allusive lines, connecting them to her life experiences and shedding light on her nearly four decades of artistic anonymity. He paints a vivid picture of Manhattan during her tenure at Oxford University Press and the National Audubon Society, where she wrote cheerful office memos and unpublished novels before discovering her poetic talent. This work serves as a tribute to poetry enthusiasts, inspiring artists at any age, and celebrating Clampitt's remarkable late-career achievements, including five acclaimed books and a MacArthur "Genius Grant," all within the last decade of her life.