JAMIE PARSLEY was born in Fargo, North Dakota and was raised near
Harwood, North Dakota. The first of his ten books of poems, Paper Doves,
Falling and Other Poems, was published in 1992 when he was 22. Over the next
18 years, he published nine more books of poems, including The Loneliness of
Blizzards (published in 1995), Cloud: a poem in 2 acts (1997), The Wounded Table
(1999), earth into earth (2000), no stars, no moon; new and selected haiku (2004),
and Ikon (2005). His eighth book of poems, Just Once (2007) chronicled his
diagnosis, treatment and ultimate recovery from cancer in 2002. This Grass
(2009) was written in collaboration with paintings by artist Gin Templeton.
Fargo, 1957 (forthcoming from the Institute for Regional Studies at North
Dakota State University) is an elegiac chronicle of the tornado that struck
Fargo, North Dakota in June, 1957
He is also the author of a book of prayers, Let This Road Beneath Me Sing (2007)
His poems, fiction, sermons and prayers have been published in literary
journals and anthologies in the United States, Britain, Canada and Japan.
His prayer “A Prayer on the Feast Day of Jonathan Myrick Daniels” appeared
in the anthology Race and Prayer: Collected Voices Many Dreams, edited by
Macolm Boyd and Chester Talton and published in 2003 by Morehouse. His
sermon “Jesus in Showbiz” appeared in the anthology Get Up Off Your Knees:
Preaching the U2 Songbook, published in 2003 by Cowley Publications.
Several of his prayers were included in Evangelical Lutheran Worship Pastoral
Care (2008).
In 2004, he was designated an Associate Poet Laureate of North Dakota by
North Dakota Poet Laureate Larry Woiwode.
He received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Vermont
College of Norwich University. He also studied at the School of Theology at
Thornloe University in Sudbury, Ontario, St. Joseph’s College, Standish, Maine
and received a Master's Degree from Nashotah House Seminary, Nashotah,
Wisconsin.
He was ordained a deacon on July 25, 2003 and a priest on June 11, 2004. He
served as an Assisting Priest at Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral, Fargo, from
2004-2008. He was appointed Assistant to the Bishop for Communications in
the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota from 2005-2008. He also served as
Chaplain to All Saints Episcopal Church, Valley City, ND from 2006-2008. In
2008, he became Priest-in-Charge of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Fargo. In
2009, he was appointed Executive Assistant to the Bishop of the Episcopal
Diocese of North Dakota.
He has taught Theology, Ethics, Philosophy, Literature and Writing at the
University of Mary's Fargo campus since 2003.
Jamie describes himself as "a progressive, inclusive, generously orthodox, Anglo-
Catholic Episcopal priest and poet."
Fellow writers have also recognized Jamie's work. Jon Hassler (1933-2008),
author of North of Hope and Staggerford said, “Jamie Parsley’s poems are so
evocative, so lonely, so understated, that I admire them very much. One of his
best talents is avoiding wordiness—a mistake so common to many poets, in my
opinion. The reader feels very comfortable fitting himself into the silences of
Jamie’s poems.”
Cid Corman (1924-2004), the late editor of Origin magazine and widely
acclaimed poet, said, “The feeling [in Jamie Parsley's poems] is warm and open
and good. . .a good feeling all around. Given his years—notable.”
Editor John Daniel said, “Jamie Parsley's poems are strong and sensual, and
they’re driven by right-minded feelings. And they’re intelligent without being
overly cerebral. The language creates celebration and life in lines that sing like
brookwater. He has a magic palette and there is a mythic quality in the way he
sees nature. Forgive me for going on at the mouth but this is fine stuff.”
Harwood, North Dakota. The first of his ten books of poems, Paper Doves,
Falling and Other Poems, was published in 1992 when he was 22. Over the next
18 years, he published nine more books of poems, including The Loneliness of
Blizzards (published in 1995), Cloud: a poem in 2 acts (1997), The Wounded Table
(1999), earth into earth (2000), no stars, no moon; new and selected haiku (2004),
and Ikon (2005). His eighth book of poems, Just Once (2007) chronicled his
diagnosis, treatment and ultimate recovery from cancer in 2002. This Grass
(2009) was written in collaboration with paintings by artist Gin Templeton.
Fargo, 1957 (forthcoming from the Institute for Regional Studies at North
Dakota State University) is an elegiac chronicle of the tornado that struck
Fargo, North Dakota in June, 1957
He is also the author of a book of prayers, Let This Road Beneath Me Sing (2007)
His poems, fiction, sermons and prayers have been published in literary
journals and anthologies in the United States, Britain, Canada and Japan.
His prayer “A Prayer on the Feast Day of Jonathan Myrick Daniels” appeared
in the anthology Race and Prayer: Collected Voices Many Dreams, edited by
Macolm Boyd and Chester Talton and published in 2003 by Morehouse. His
sermon “Jesus in Showbiz” appeared in the anthology Get Up Off Your Knees:
Preaching the U2 Songbook, published in 2003 by Cowley Publications.
Several of his prayers were included in Evangelical Lutheran Worship Pastoral
Care (2008).
In 2004, he was designated an Associate Poet Laureate of North Dakota by
North Dakota Poet Laureate Larry Woiwode.
He received a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from Vermont
College of Norwich University. He also studied at the School of Theology at
Thornloe University in Sudbury, Ontario, St. Joseph’s College, Standish, Maine
and received a Master's Degree from Nashotah House Seminary, Nashotah,
Wisconsin.
He was ordained a deacon on July 25, 2003 and a priest on June 11, 2004. He
served as an Assisting Priest at Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral, Fargo, from
2004-2008. He was appointed Assistant to the Bishop for Communications in
the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota from 2005-2008. He also served as
Chaplain to All Saints Episcopal Church, Valley City, ND from 2006-2008. In
2008, he became Priest-in-Charge of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Fargo. In
2009, he was appointed Executive Assistant to the Bishop of the Episcopal
Diocese of North Dakota.
He has taught Theology, Ethics, Philosophy, Literature and Writing at the
University of Mary's Fargo campus since 2003.
Jamie describes himself as "a progressive, inclusive, generously orthodox, Anglo-
Catholic Episcopal priest and poet."
Fellow writers have also recognized Jamie's work. Jon Hassler (1933-2008),
author of North of Hope and Staggerford said, “Jamie Parsley’s poems are so
evocative, so lonely, so understated, that I admire them very much. One of his
best talents is avoiding wordiness—a mistake so common to many poets, in my
opinion. The reader feels very comfortable fitting himself into the silences of
Jamie’s poems.”
Cid Corman (1924-2004), the late editor of Origin magazine and widely
acclaimed poet, said, “The feeling [in Jamie Parsley's poems] is warm and open
and good. . .a good feeling all around. Given his years—notable.”
Editor John Daniel said, “Jamie Parsley's poems are strong and sensual, and
they’re driven by right-minded feelings. And they’re intelligent without being
overly cerebral. The language creates celebration and life in lines that sing like
brookwater. He has a magic palette and there is a mythic quality in the way he
sees nature. Forgive me for going on at the mouth but this is fine stuff.”
| JAMIE PARSLEY |
