Raymond Carver

Tormented by tragedies, illnesses, and familial tribulations, authors and poets over the ages have reflected their angst and sadness through their works. Their emotions paint colorful characters onto a canvas of paper to portray plots that keep us glued page after page. Their own souls are poured out so that they can relay their feelings as if these fictional stories are their own. Raymond Carver is no different.
Born in Clatskanie, Oregon on May 25, 1938, Carver’s father immediately had a negative impact on his life by never being there for his son and when he was, he was usually drunk and abusive to Carver. His mother also worked long hours as a waitress or as a retail clerk so he was often left at home to look after his siblings while his parents worked.
By the time he was 19, Carver was married to his first wife, 16-year-old high school girlfriend Maryann Burk who was pregnant with their first child by the time she graduated from an Episcopalian private school for gi...