PROFILE
The World of Poetry Is for Everyone Words by Sydney Holets
Photo courtesy of Chris Martin
Professor of Creative Writing at Hamline Chris Martin is a writer start writing until I saw my friends writing poetry, and it seemed and educator, but his teaching and passion for poetry goes beyond challenging so I wanted to give it a try.” He drew inspiration for the college classroom. his writing from rap music, so his first poems were more like song lyrics. “We act as if everyone doesn’t need poetry, but everyone can
benefit from writing it. There is always a need for poetry,” Martin Martin’s passion for writing grew as he did, leading him to said. He embodies this idea through his own work and dedication Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and later to New York. to the craft, which came about early in his life, but rather He moved to New York after graduating from Carleton to be a unexpectedly. full-time writer and touring poet. He knew it would be difficult to live on “poet money.” Martin grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in a household
filled with books, as both of his parents were writers. But his love “It was a good tax write-off, but you lose money as a poet,” for reading and writing didn’t begin there. Martin chuckled.
As a child, Martin loved math. Not yet settled into the world of Even when he was living and going on reading tours with friends, writing, Martin said his friends were his first influencers: “I didn’t it wasn’t a financially practical lifestyle. So, Martin picked up a 14 | Canvas
