Ohio State’s poet laureate to receive Governor’s Award for Individual Artist

COLUMBUS – David Citino, professor of English for 30 years at Ohio State and the university's first poet laureate, will receive the Individual Artist Award later today at the 2004 Governor's Awards for the Arts in Ohio.

Over the past 35 years, Citino has written 12 books of poetry, including his most recent works of “The News and Other Poems” and “The Invention of Secrecy,” and has published his poems in numerous magazines and anthologies. He also has written a book of essays titled “Paperwork.” In addition, he delivered Ohio State’s Winter 2000 Commencement address, “Pomp, Circumstance, and Other Songs of a Lifetime,“ a poem written for the occasion that now appears in every commencement program.

Citino, originally from Cleveland and a lifelong Ohio resident, says the award means a great deal.

“I realize the wealth of talented artists in Ohio,” he said. “For someone who has always lived, worked and written poetry in Ohio, I can’t imagine a greater honor.”

For years, Citino has written original poems for special occasions at Ohio State. For example, he wrote a poem about the legendary football coach Woody Hayes for his memorial ceremony, for President Holbrook's arrival at Ohio State, and for the university's candlelight vigil commemorating the tragedies of 9/11. In recognition of his work, the Ohio State Board of Trustees named Citino the Poet Laureate of the University in 2002.

“To work for a place where your poetry is honored and used in special occasions, this is what I have dreamed of,” Citino said. “Poetry, like any piece of writing can be used to fit the occasion. It is a way we can be most human.”

After earning his master's and doctorate degrees from Ohio State, Citino taught at the Marion campus from 1974 to 1985 and then came to work at the Columbus campus. Currently, he teaches workshops and courses on poetry for undergraduate and graduate students, and a course about the use of poetry in the Bible.

In addition, Citino serves as poetry editor of Ohio State University Press, president of the Board of Trustees of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and a long-time volunteer at Thurber House, the writers’ center located in downtown Columbus. He also writes about poetry for the Columbus Dispatch.

Citino has received numerous honors and awards for his work, including the OSU Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award, a Fellowship in Poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Career Achievement Award from the OSU Alumni Association. He also was honored as the first recipient of the Poetry Award from the Ohioana Library Association.