Patrick Lawler
- Writer in Residence English
Patrick has published seven books of poetry: Breathe a World (Tiger Bark Press, 2022); Child Sings in the Womb (Bitter Oleander Press, 2014); Trade World Center (Ravenna Press, 2012); Under Ground (Many Mountains Moving Press, 2011); Feeding the Fear Of The Earth (Many Mountains Moving Press, 2006); (reading a burning book) (Basfal Books, 1994); and A Drowning Man is Never Tall Enough (University of Georgia Press, 1990).
In addition, he has two books of fiction: Rescuers of Skydivers Search Among the Clouds (winner of Fiction Collective Two Ronald Sukenick/American Book Review Innovative Fiction Award, 2013), and The Meaning of If (a collection of short stories from Four Way Books, 2014). In 2024, the University of Alabama Press is scheduled to publish his novel Conversations with Extinct Animals.
Among his awards are two New York State Foundation for the Arts Fellowships, a Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts Grant, the CNY Book Award for Fiction, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. He has written, in collaboration or individually, numerous plays (“Voice/Box,” “Circle of Willis”) and film scripts (The Life and Life of Gilbert Booth and “The Arrow at Rest in Every Instant of Its Flight”).
Scripts co-written with Director Ted Schaefer have received several awards, including a Feature Finalist from the BlueCat Competition, support from the Davey Foundation Grant, and an award presented through the Champs Elysees Film Festival.
They have written three short films (“Singing to the Earth until a Tree Grows”, “The Zeno Question”, and “I Fell in Love with the World”) and the feature-length Giving Birth to a Butterfly, which has been presented at several film festivals, including Montreal, Cucalorus, Chatanooga, New York City, and Italy.
Education
M.A. (English/Creative Writing), Syracuse University
Media Appearances
- The Bitter Oleander. Featured Author (Interview and poems) Vol. 15 Number 1 (Spring 2009): 45 – 57.
- “Q & A with Patrick Lawler” : Interview. Salt Hill Journal. Issue 23 (2009): 111 – 114
- Joe Milford Poetry Show. Interview and Reading. 1 ½ Hours. www.blogtalkradio.com/joe-milford-show/2009/11/16/joe-milford-hosts-patrick-lawler-1
- Interview with Brian Brodeau regarding the poem “How to be a Man (Assembly)”. howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/2011/01/patrick-lawler.html
Interview with Joelle Jameson at AWP Chicago (2012): cyberstationlive.com/highvolumes - Interview with Mary McLaughlin Slechta. Great Weather for Media. “Create Until You Fall In Love: An Interview With Patrick Lawler” (January 3, 2019): https://www.greatweatherformedia.com/…/2019/1/…/-an-interview-with-patrick-lawler
- Interview with Tyler Flynn Dorholt. UNEARTHED unearthedesf.com (March 2019)
Publications and Films:
POETRY BOOKS:
- Breathe a World—Including The Exhalation Therapist and Breathe a Wor(l)d–a poetry collection published by Tiger Bark Press. 2022.
- Child Sings in the Womb–a poetry collection published by The Bitter Oleander Press. 2014.
- Trade World Center—a collection of poetry published by Ravenna Press, 2012.
- Feeding the Fear of the Earth–a collection of poetry scheduled to be published by Many Mountains Moving, 2006.
- (reading a burning book)–a collection of poetry published by Basfal Books, 1994.
- A Drowning Man is Never Tall Enough– a collection of poetry published by University of Georgia Press, 1990.
FICTION BOOKS:
- Conversations with Extinct Animals—a novel. Fiction Collective 2. Scheduled to be published by University of Alabama Press, 2024.
- Rescuers of Skydivers Search Among the Clouds—a novel. Winner of Fiction Collective 2 Ronald Sukenik/ABR Innovative Fiction Award and published by University of Alabama Press, 2012.
- The Meaning of If. Short Story Collection scheduled to be published by Four Way Books. Winter, 2014.
HYBRID TEXT:
- Underground: Notes Toward an Autobiography. Hybrid Text combining Interview and Poetry. Many Mountains Moving Press, 2011-2012.
ONLINE POETRY CHAPBOOK:
- Between Hoaxlessness and Hoax. Online Poetry Chapbook. H_NGM_N Press. H_ngm_n.com. 2017.
FILMS:
- “Singing to the Earth Until a Tree Grows” (A short ecofilm) Written with Director Ted Schaefer. 2014. Presented at ASLE Conference in Detroit, and shown on various campuses. Partially supported by SUNY ESF and available at https://vimeo.com/125525548.
- “The Zeno Question”—a short film written by Patrick Lawler and Director Ted Schaefer—a finalist for the Davey Foundation Grant in 2014—presented in Salt Lake City and at the Syracuse Film Festival.
- “I Fell in Love with The World” (An experimental short film) Written by Patrick Lawler and Director Ted Shaefer. Presented at the Nitehawk Shorts Festival (2023).
- Giving Birth to a Butterfly (A feature-length script) Written by Patrick Lawler and Director Ted Schaefer. Shown at a variety of Film Festivals.
