In terms of getting acquainted with my poetry, I can best point readers to some well-known poets who have influenced me with both their content and style. For example, I fell in love with the poetry of Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson as a young student, but as I matured as both a person and a writer, my tastes became much more eclectic. Today, I read a wide range of poets, including Ted Kooser, Louise Gluck, Jane Hirschfield, Rebecca Foust, Ada Limon, Rita Dove, Sharon Olds, Mary Oliver, Natasha Trethaway, Elizabeth Bishop, and David Baker. Indiana poets whose work I respect include Shari Wagner, Alessandra Lynch, Kyle Craig, Adrian Matejka, Dheepa Maturi, Chris Speckman, and Mary Redman.
