John Dorsey (American poet)

John Dorsey (born 1976) is an American poet, playwright, newspaper journalist, and screenwriter. Dorsey is the author of over one hundred collections of poetry and his work has appeared in over 2,000 anthologies and literary magazines. he is the recipient of the 2019 Terry Award, given at Poetry Rendezvous. Dorsey is also a founder and co-editor of the Gasconade Review, with Jason Ryberg and River Dog Press, with Victor Clevenger. Dorsey is known for his prolific writing career as a poet, and as a major influence on small press, grassroots poetry movements in the U.S. one that "relies on an economy of words, short stanzas, and minimal punctuation," to explore themes of personal relationships, human struggles, the working class, and the complexities of everyday life. His work is known for its raw honesty and vivid storytelling, reflecting on the often traumatic or marginal lives of people around him This theme is particularly salient in his later work as he became more comfortable sharing that aspect of his life.