The single most important teacher in my life (and I’ve had a bunch of great ones) has died. I’m gutted to hear that Wayne Dodd, my first poetry teacher, has passed. I entered his poetry workshops at Ohio University as a freshman, in love with writing poetry, but unaware that anyone had written poetry since the Beats. I took every poetry workshop he offered until there were no more to take. Every afternoon in his class, staring out at the sycamores from the upper floors of Ellis Hall, my mind was blown and the boundaries of my heart were enlarged. I’d never had a teacher like Wayne before, and I’ve never had one like him since. He introduced me to the poets whose work guided my life, both in poetry and in just, like, life. His teaching literally changed my life. And today, over 30 years later, every time I teach things that Wayne taught me about poetry come out in what I give my students. Those golden hours in his classroom are never far from my mind. RIP dear dear Wayne Dodd. A poet and teacher.