Remembering the Poems of Frederick Smock

Remember the poems of former Kentucky Poet Laureate Frederick Smock with readings by his family, friends, and members of the Kentucky literary community.

Frederick Smock was born in Owensboro and moved to Fern Creek at the age of 6. After graduating from Seneca High School in Louisville, he earned degrees from Georgetown College and the University of Louisville. While at UofL, Smock studied under Sena Jeter Naslund, a prominent Kentucky writer and the co-namesake of Spalding University's MFA program. In 1978, Smock began working at Carmichael's Bookstore. Now a Louisville staple, Carmichael's was just a fledgling operation at that time, with Smock becoming an integral part of their growth and success.

Smock later joined the faculty at Bellarmine University as head of the Creative Writing program. He specialized in Modernism as well as 20th Century American Poetry in addition to Creative Writing. Throughout his career, he published eleven collections of poetry, two books of prose, two books of essays, and one memoir. Smock's work won him numerous awards and fellowships, including a stint as Kentucky Poet Laureate from 2017-18.

Smock passed away in 2022, but his work and legacy lives on across the Commonwealth and beyond.

Sponsored by Kentucky Humanities, the Kentucky Arts Council, and Paul Sawyier Public Library.