River Readings: Brian Turner

Brian Turner is the author of two poetry collections, "Here, Bullet," which won the 2005 Beatrice Hawley Award, the New York Times ¡°Editor¡¯s Choice¡± selection, the 2006 PEN Center USA ¡°Best in the West¡± award, and the 2007 Poets Prize, among others; and "Phantom Noise," which was shortlisted for the 2010 T.S. Eliot Prize in Poetry. 

He wrote a memoir, "My Life as a Foreign Country," which made Powell¡¯s Best Nonfiction of 2014 list.

Turner earned an MFA from the University of Oregon before serving for seven years in the U.S. Army. He was an infantry team leader for a year in Iraq with the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. Prior to that, he deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina with the 10th Mountain Division (1999-2000).

He has been a machinist, locksmith¡¯s assistant convenience store clerk, pickler, maker of circuit boards, dishwasher, EFL teacher in South Korea, low-voltage electrician,  radio DJ, bass guitar instructor, and more. He¡¯s lived and traveled in dozens of countries.

Turner directs the MFA program at Sierra Nevada Å·ÖÞ±­ÍøͶ_Å·ÖÞ±­ÍâΧapp-Ͷע¹ÙÍø and serves as a contributing editor at The Normal School.