FRESNO (KMJ) — A United States poet laureate – whose work captured the essence of the working man's life – has died.
Phillip Levine had won the Pulitzer Prize – was a former Poet Laureate – and an Emeritus Professor at Fresno State.
He started his life in Detroit – the son of Russian and Jewish immigrants and was known for capturing the working man's life – with his work described as showing how "ordinary people are extraordinary".
He taught at Fresno state in 1958 – retiring in 1992 – a career spanning more than 30 years.
"Levine's impact on American literature is not easy to calculate, but it is profound," said Dr. Vida Samiian, former dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State that houses the Department of English
"He has surely put Fresno on the map and brought immense honor to our community and our campus throughout the years."
Dr. Corrinne Hales, Fresno State English professor and coordinator of the Levine Prize in Poetry, called Mr. Levine "an extraordinary poet, teacher, colleague and friend, and one of the most big-hearted people I have ever known."
"Most of us have many funny stories about Phil being a very blunt and tough teacher, but what sometimes gets overlooked is how absolutely generous he was with his expertise, his time and his energy with students, colleagues and friends," Hales said.
He passed away Saturday evening at the age of 87 – at his home in Fresno.
