Aaron Smith (poet)
# Aaron Smith (poet)

Aaron Smith is an American poet. Three of his poetry collections have been finalists for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. His poetry often covers "what it means to be a gay man from a rural, working class environment."

## Education and career

Smith received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Pittsburgh. He previously taught at West Virginia Wesleyan College and currently serves as an associate professor of Creative Writing at Lesley University. He has also been the recipient of fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Mass Cultural Council.

## Awards

Awards and honors for Smith's writing :

| Year | Title | Award/Honor | Result |
| - | - | - | - |
| 2003 | What's Required | Frank O'Hara Award | |
| 2004 | Blue on Blue Ground | Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize | Winner |
| 2006 | Blue on Blue Ground | Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry | Finalist |
| 2013 | Appetite | Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry | Finalist |
| 2013 | Appetite | Paterson Poetry Prize | Finalist |
| 2013 | Appetite | Thom Gunn Award | Finalist |
| 2016 | Primer | Poetry Must Read for the Massachusetts Center for the Book | Honor |
| 2017 | Primer | Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry | Finalist |
| 2020 | The Book of Daniel | Thom Gunn Award | Finalist |

## Publications

### Poetry collections

* Blue on Blue Ground, Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005)
* Appetite (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2012)
* Primer (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2016)
* The Book of Daniel (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2019)
* Stop Lying (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2023)

### Chapbooks

* Men in Groups: Chapbook (Winged City/New Sins Press 2011)
* What's Required

### Poems

* “What It Feels Like to be Aaron Smith,” in The Best American Poetry 2013 (Scribner, 2013)
