Herbert Woodward Martin, professor emeritus of English and UD's poet-in-residence for more than 30 years, published his eighth volume of poetry Wednesday, titled 'Inscribing My Name: New, Used and Repossessed Poems.'

Early reviews described Martin's poetry as 'innovative' with pieces that depict life in the Midwest. About three-quarters of the book includes Martin's best work organized in chronological order from six books and 38 years of writing, while the remainder is filled with new poetry, some experimental.

'Herbert Woodward Martin's body of poetry over the past five decades is, in many ways, matched by no one else,' said the publisher in a recent press release. 'His many poetic voices range from quiet lyrics to angry protest poems, from groundbreaking counterpoint structures to prize-winning historical narratives.'

The book is available from Kent State University Press, the publisher.

Martin's numerous awards include the Mellon Poetry Prize, an honorary doctorate from UD, awards from the Ohio Humanities Council, and the 2002 Governor's Award for the Arts given by the Ohio Arts Council in the 'Individual Artist' category.

'Inscribing My Name' includes many poems about love and constancy, poems about musical pieces, autobiographical poems and poems that deal with the works of other artists, Martin said.

As the poet-in-residence, Martin has an agreement with UD that the university may call upon him to prose a poem to celebrate an occasion. Composing poetry is not as easy as some think.

'I don't think many good poems strike one like lightening,' Martin said. 'I think poets need to be forewarned two years in advance to come up with a genuinely good poem.'

Martin has been writing since an early age because of his interest in words, and he finally took to the craft while in his 20s.

'I started writing poetry because I liked words and what the imagination could do with words,' he said.

Martin said he taught many English courses at UD, including the introduction to poetry and advanced poetry courses. Currently, he is teaching the African American Literature class and will be retiring at the end of May.

In his spare time, Martin performs Paul Laurence Dunbar poetry and has been for 33 years, despite his efforts to step down from performing. His popular Paul Laurence Dunbar one-man show is booked every weekend in February.

Martin's published writings include poetry, drama, opera libretti and literary criticism and have appeared in several anthologies and journals. His published volumes of poetry include 'Galileo's Suns,' 'The Forms of Silence,' and 'The Log of Vigilante,' a journal of slave captivity.

He also co-edited 'In His Own Voice: The Dramatic and Other Uncollected Works of Paul Laurence Dunbar,' a volume of Dunbar's previously unpublished short stories, essays, poems, and dramas, with Ronald Primeau, an English professor at Central Michigan University who chronicled Martin's career in a book, 'Herbert Woodward Martin and the African American Tradition in Poetry.'