Who is Brian Turner?

Brian Turner is first known as an American poet, but if one is familiar with his poetry, one also knows of his career as a soldier, for both are intertwined. Brian Turner spent seven years in the United States Army, and one can clearly see how this experience has affected his career as a poet. Before his time in the Army, Turner received his Bachelor of Arts, his Master of Arts, and his Master of Fine Arts(Contemporary Authors Online). 

Turner’s parents raised him in Fresno, California and then in Madera county, California. After high school, he attended Fresno Community College. Eventually, he transferred to Fresno State where he received his BA and MA. Soon after, he received his MFA from the University of Oregon(Contemporary Authors Online). 

One could call Turner well cultured to the world. He used his degrees to teach English in South Korea for over one year, after he received his MFA. THen he traveled to Russia, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates. The combination of his liberal degrees and traveling gave him a different perspective on life compared to most people. He was able to transform the situations that he saw into poetry.

Turner spent time in the United States Army for seven years. He went to Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1999 until 2000. There he worked with the 10th Mountain Division. In November of 2003 he led an infantry team in Iraq with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. His experiences with war are what shaped his poetry. In his National Public Radio interview, he said that he would often write his poetry right after he experienced the inspiration on the battle field. Many times he would write by the light of his cloaked flashlight in the barracks, careful not to wake the other men. He penned his poem “Eulogy” the same day that one of his fellow soldiers committed suicide(National Public Radio). 

While he was deployed, he kept his work a secret. His fellow soldiers knew he was working on a book, but as to what kind of book he was writing, they were in the dark. He did not want them to think that he was writing poetry about flowers and rainbows, for they may have thought less of him or lessened the amount of respect that they held for him(National Public Radio). 

Turner’s poetry works to paint a picture of what war truly is to the public. He captured the bloody reality of combat zones in many of his poems, and the picture created is anything but pleasant. Gore, violence, and death lace his poetry, but the fact that it is a stark reality makes it important to read. Society should be aware of the workings of the world, and Turner’s poetry provides a means of acquiring that image of truth. 

Turner’s book, “Here, Bullet,” is a reflection of his time spent in Iraq. It reflects on the variability of the zone to change from moment to moment, the death that surrounds wherever the armies were, and the emotions that the violence awakens in those seeing it. The book is named after a poem of the same title. In the poem “Here, Bullet,” a soldier, presumably Turner, tells a bullet that it might as well finish its job and he offers his body to the piece of metal. He does this knowing that such an act would land on his tongue and spill words to the world(National Public Radio). 

Turner’s experience with war forever shaped his poetry. It is filled with images of violent acts and death, but it is not immoral or awful poetry. It is merely the truth. 

Works Cited:

"Brian Turner." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 15 Nov. 2011.

"Iraq Soldier Describes War in Poetry." National Public Radio. N.p., 06 Jan 2006. web. 15 Nov 2011.

Bibliography:

Here, Bullet (2005)

Phantom Noise (2010)