Cathedral

RaymondClevieCarver,Jr.(May25,1938–August2,1988)wasanAmericanshortstorywriterandpoet.CarverisconsideredamajorAmericanwriterofthelate20thcenturyandalsoamajorforceintherevitalizationoftheshortstoryinthe1980s.CarverwasborninClatskanie,Oregon,amilltownontheColumbiaRiver,andgrewupinYakima,Washington.Hisfather,asawmillworkerfromArkansas,wasaviolentalcoholic.Carver'smotherworkedonandoffasawaitressandaretailclerk.Hisonebrother,JamesFranklinCarver,wasbornin1943.CarverwaseducatedatlocalschoolsinYakima,Washington.InhissparetimehereadmostlynovelsbyMickeySpillaneorpublicationssuchasSportsAfieldandOutdoorLifeandhuntedandfishedwithfriendsandfamily.AftergraduatingfromYakimaHighSchoolin1956,CarverworkedwithhisfatheratasawmillinCalifornia.InJune1957,aged19,hemarried16-year-oldMaryannBurk.ShehadjustgraduatedfromaprivateEpiscopalschoolforgirls.Theirdaughter,ChristineLaRae,wasborninDecember1957.Whentheirsecondchild,aboynamedVanceLindsay,wasbornthenextyear,Carverwas20.Carversupportedhisfamilybyworkingasajanitor,sawmilllaborer,deliveryman,andlibraryassistant.Duringtheirmarriage,Maryannworkedasawaitress,salesperson,administrativeassistant,andteacher.CarverbecameinterestedinwritinginCalifornia,wherehehadmovedwithhisfamilybecausehismother-in-lawhadahomeinParadise.Carverattendedacreative-writingcoursetaughtbythenovelistJohnGardner,whobecameamentorandhadamajorinfluenceonCarver'slifeandcareer.CarvercontinuedhisstudiesfirstatChicoStateUniversityandthenatHumboldtStateCollegeinArcata,California,wherehestudiedwithRichardCortezDayandreceivedhisB.A.in1963.DuringthisperiodhewasfirstpublishedandservedaseditorforToyon,theuniversityliterarymagazine,inwhichheincludedseveralofhisownpiecesunderpseudonyms.HelaterattendedtheIowaWriters'Workshop,attheUniversityofIowa,foroneyear.MaryanngraduatedfromSanJoseStateCollegein1970andtaughtEnglishatLosAltosHighSchooluntil1977.Inthemid-1960sCarverandhisfamilylivedinSacramento,whereheworkedasanightcustodianatMercyHospital.HesatinonclassesatwhatwasthenSacramentoStateCollegeincludingworkshopswithpoetDennisSchmitz.Carver'sfirstbookofpoems,NearKlamath,waspublishedin1968bytheEnglishClubofSacramentoStateCollege.Withhisappearanceintherespected"Foleycollection,"theimpendingpublicationofNearKlamath,andthedeathofhisfather,1967wasalandmarkyear.ThatwasalsotheyearthathemovedhisfamilytoPaloAlto,California,sothathecouldtakeajobasatextbookeditorforScienceResearchAssociates.Heworkedthereuntilhewasfiredin1970forhisinappropriatewritingstyle.Inthe1970sand1980sashiswritingcareerbegantotakeoff,CarvertaughtforseveralyearsatuniversitiesthroughouttheUnitedStates.Duringtheyearsofworkingindifferentjobs,rearingchildren,andtryingtowrite,Carverstartedtodrinkheavilyandstatedthatalcoholbecamesuchaprobleminhislifethathemoreorlessgaveupandtooktofull-timedrinking.Inthefallsemesterof1973,CarverwasateacherintheIowaWriters'WorkshopwithJohnCheever,butCarverstatedthattheydidlessteachingthandrinkingandalmostnowriting.Thenextyear,afterleavingIowaCity,Cheeverwenttoatreatmentcentertoattempttoovercomehisalcoholism,butCarvercontinueddrinkingforthreeyears.Afterbeinghospitalizedthreetimes(betweenJune1976andFebruaryorMarch1977),Carverbeganhis'secondlife'andstoppeddrinkingonJune2,1977,withthehelpofAlcoholicsAnonymous.CarvermetthepoetTessGallagheratawriters'conferenceinDallas,Texasin1978.FromMayuntilAugust,1979,CarverandGallagherlivedinaborrowedcabinnearPortAngeles,inwesternWashingtonstate.InSeptember,thetwomovedtoSyracuse,whereGallagherhadbeenappointedtheCoordinatoroftheCreativeWritingProgramatSyracuseUniversity;CarvertaughtasaprofessorintheEnglishdepartment.HeandGallagherjointlypurchasedahouseinSyracuse,at832MarylandAvenue.Inensuingyears,thehousebecamesopopularthatthecouplehadtohangasignoutsidethatread"WritersAtWork"inordertobeleftalone.In1982,Carverandfirstwife,Maryann,weredivorced.[1]HemarriedGallagherin1988inReno,Nevada.Sixweekslater,onAugust2,1988,CarverdiedinPortAngeles,Washington,fromlungcancerattheageof50.Inthesameyear,hewasinductedintotheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLetters.RaymondCarverisburiedatOceanViewCemeteryinPortAngeles,WA.