STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University English Professor Robert West explores nature and human experience in “A Clear Eye,” a new collection of 59 poems published by Broadstone Books.
Robert West
The 2026 collection has drawn early praise for its concise style and emotional depth. Poet Michael McFee, professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, called the book “a brilliant, heartfelt and very satisfying collection,” noting its “evocative brevity and inventive lines.” Knoxville, Tennessee, Poet Laureate Linda Parsons described it as “the essence of the essence,” highlighting its subtle humor and wordplay.
“I’ve long admired poets who can make something marvelous happen in just a few lines, even just a few words,” West said. “What I’ve learned over the last 30 years is how much patience that takes.”
West, head of MSU’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, has built a career spanning poetry, scholarship and editorial leadership. His previous work includes co-editing “Succinct: The Broadstone Anthology of Short Poems” (Broadstone Press, 2013), editing both volumes of “The Complete Poems of A.R. Ammons” (W.W. Norton, 2017) and co-editing “Robert Morgan: Essays on the Life and Work” (McFarland, 2022). He is also the author of essays, reviews, scholarly contributions and chapbooks, including “Convalescent” (2011).
A specialist in post-1900 American and British literature, West serves as associate editor of Mississippi Quarterly: The Journal of Southern Cultures. His work has appeared in Poetry, The Christian Science Monitor, Appalachian Journal, Southern Quarterly and Alabama Literary Review.
In addition to his writing and research, West continues to serve in academic leadership roles at MSU. He began serving this spring as interim associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences.
West has led the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures since 2021 and previously helped guide MSU’s successful effort to establish a Phi Beta Kappa chapter in 2018. He also served as interim director of the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and completed the Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program and MSU Faculty Leadership Program.
A North Carolina native, West earned a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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