John Knoepfle

John Ignatius Knoepfle (1923-2019) was an American poet, translator, and educator best known for reviving Midwestern poetry in the 1960s. A World War II Navy veteran who earned the Purple Heart, he taught primarily at Sangamon State University (now University of Illinois at Springfield) from 1972 to 1991. He authored over 25 books of poetry and prose, receiving awards like the Mark Twain Award and Illinois Author of the Year.