Interview with Frank Steele, September 23, 1992

Interview Summary

Steele describes his family history. His father was a traveling salesman and his mother was a piano teacher. Steele spent time as a child watching many movies, and then he started school a year earlier than usual. He was interested in sports, and his first college major was physical education. Before finishing college, he served a stint in the army, where he had the opportunity to play an extra in an Elvis Presley movie. Steele was greatly influenced by his teacher and mentor, Stephen Mooney. The first part of this recording is the interview and the second half is a recording of a poetry reading. Steele reads some of his works.

Interview Keyword

Frank Pettis Steele, Jr. Kentucky women writers Kentucky writers Max Garland Jim Wayne Miller Wendell Berry Plainsong Journal Creative writing Beloit Poetry Journal Stephen Mooney Poetry

Interview LC Subject

Authors, American--Kentucky Intellectual life Literature Mooney, Stephen, 1913-1971 Flynn, Errol, 1909-1959 Appalachia Steele, Frank Appalachian Region Kentucky--In literature American literature--Kentucky Garland, Max, 1950- Miller, Jim Wayne Berry, Wendell, 1934-

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.