BIOGRAPHY (general overview):

Born in Mansfield, Ohio, May 31, 1959 at 6:36 am. Gemini poster boy grew up in Sanford, North Carolina and in Atlanta and Marietta, Georgia.

Weened at Beecher Hills Baptist Church Kindergarten and educated at Cascade Road Elementary School in Atlanta, GA, and Marietta Jr. and Sr. High School in Marietta, Georgia.

Attended the University of Georgia, Athens. Studied with Coleman Barks. At the University of Virginia,  studied with Charles Wright and Gregory Orr. Also studied independently with Robert Bly, Ruth Stone, Allen Ginsberg, Marion Woodman and Joseph Campbell.

Writings include poetry published in Ploughshares, Gettysburg Review, Southern Poetry Review, Seneca Review, Poetry East, Antioch Review, Plainsong, Iris, and Painted Bride Quarterly among others.

For this poetry awarded fellowships from the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, Illinois and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Won the Academy of American Poets Prize in 1984.

Non-fiction writings include articles on and interviews with Lucinda Williams, Madison Smartt Bell, Ruth Stone, Vic Chesnutt, and Robert Francis, among others.

As editor of Haw River Books oversaw design and publicaton of limited edition chapbooks by David Daniel, Tom Andrews and Molly Bendall, as well as National Book Award-winners Robert Bly, Ruth Stone, and William Stafford. Stafford’s,  WRITING THE WORLD, Haw River’s first publication, was nominated for the 1988 LOS ANGELES TIMES Book of the Year in Poetry.

As a singer-songwriter, has written, performed and co-produced four independent albums of songs (SECULAR MUSICS, SPARKLES FROM THE WHEEL, and PURE PRODUCT, Vol. I and II) and is in production for a new collection, BOB BRADLEY, produced by Don Dixon (2006).

As a supporting and headlining performer has shared the stage with, among others, Peter Buck (REM), David Mead, Joe, Marc's Brother, Lucinda Williams, Mindy Smith, Robert Bly, Keith Urban, Madison Smartt Bell, Vic Chesnutt, Jim Clark, David Daniel, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Coleman Barks, the Chickasaw Mud Puppies, Night Ranger, Wyn Cooper, Steve Earle, Ted Nugent, Deep Purple and Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie).

Arc of poetic and professional journey took him from Athens, GA to Jasper, GA, Charlottesville, VA, Baltimore, MD, Chicago, IL, back to Athens and, since 1993, to Nashville, TN. Teaches in the Department of Languages, Literature and Philosophy at Tennessee State University. Completing work on doctorate in education at TSU and working with the TSU Office of Service Learning and Civic Engagement.

Early Morning Gospel

Inside

Every moment,

Open, flower.

The world

Exists in

Order to

Reassure

Us.

--Bob Bradley, January 1st, 2006, 10:10 pm