Friends and Fellow Poets Remember Marty McGovern

Marty McGovern was one of those creative forces for whom the term "yeoman's work" seems to have been coined. He did hard, valuable and effective work in service of a cause. McGovern was part of the superstructure of many writing careers here in Denver and across the country; his own writing was widely varied and widely honored. That was his work; his cause? The creative ether of Denver, and all the writers who joyfully toil therein.

McGovern hailed from Pueblo, where his family ran the Grove Drug Store, a local institution that may have instilled an appreciation for being of service to others. He embraced education, receiving master's degrees from St. Mary's College and Stanford, and then going on to earn a Ph.D. at the University of Houston.

When McGovern returned to Colorado in early adulthood, he spent years dedicated to theater: acting, directing, writing and working to develop the Ad Hoc Theater, which succeeded in the Denver market for several years, performing at the Acoma Center and paving the way for Curious Theatre Company to take over the space. (Curious recently announced plans to sell that building.)

McGovern would go on to achieve different goals in different arenas, over and over. He first taught at Regis University, and in 2007 helped to found its well-received Mile High MFA writing program. His play Joseph K earned the 2009 Denver Post Ovation Award for Best New Work, and his collection of poetry, Bad Fame, won acclaim from local and national poetry circles alike. He also worked for Westword's parent company, evaluating résumés for editorial positions at seventeen papers. "I was so lucky to have him," says then-executive editor Christine Brennan. "He was so conscientious and so smart, and a lovely person."

But McGovern's most notable talent was perhaps his ability to make students, theater professionals and anyone who wanted to put a metaphoric pen to paper more comfortable in their own creative skin. He inspired the old-fashioned way: with endless reading, his willingness to dive into discussion, the thoughtfulness and immediacy he brought to every conversation. "There aren't enough Martys in the world," said essayist David Lazar in his obituary for McGovern.

In advance of a memorial for Marty McGovern at the Acoma Center Friday, we asked a few other friends, colleagues to share memories:

David Hicks, author of White Plains and co-founder of the Regis University MFA program
Marty always made things fun...he always made [students] feel good about what they were doing. He took away their stress, replacing it with reassurance and confidence. He showed the students, again and again, that even though he may be a hot-shot poet and playwright, he was still learning, just like them, still curious, still seeking to improve his craft. And our students loved him for that. And Marty loved them back.

On behalf of Andrea Rexilius and Eric Baus, I want to express our condolences to Marty's family, especially to his sweet son, Gabriel, the coolest kid on the planet. Marty adored you, Gabriel. In the hundreds of hours your father and I spent together, I don't remember one time when he didn't mention your name or brag about you or laugh about something you said or did. He was endlessly proud of you and was grateful for every minute of time he could spend with you. You made him a better, happier man, just by being you, and I know his generous, creative, warm and loving spirit lives on in you.

Hillary Leftwich, Aura and Ghosts Are Just Strangers Who Know How to Knock
Marty was my mentor during my master’s program in 2011 and during my MFA. He was also a friend for the last eleven years. Our sons are around the same age, so we would hang out quite often together, discussing parenting woes and poetry. I remember his slow laugh, his kookiness and his fierce love for his son. Marty would say to us all to stop talking about his ending and talk more about how terrible he was at letting the small stuff go. Or how great he was at laughing and smiling in the faces of people who got on his last nerve. How much he supported people in the writing and drama communities; how he adored his cat, Masha; and, of course, his family. His stories were hilarious. I hold many secrets of Marty's I will never tell. I can laugh about a few of them now, and I know Marty would, too. Safe travels, my friend.

Dr. April Samaras, Regis Associate Professor of Communications
Marty was beloved by the Regis community. He worked tirelessly to support his writing students, treating each of them like family, and was incredibly proud of every one of them. He inspired and supported them as if they were his children. Countless times, Marty called me, beaming with pride about their storytelling abilities, or in tears — moved by their vulnerability. He was in love with the written word, and his heart and light will live on through his students.

Brenda S. Tolian, Blood Mountain
Marty was one of the first to welcome me into a vibrant community of writers. His encouragement of my fiction and poetry laid a lasting foundation for my journey in both writing and teaching. His writing represents what all great writing should do— it lives on and continues to inspire. He is missed.

Kathryn Winograd, This Visible Speaking: Catching Light Through the Camera’s Eye
I first met Marty in the Ph.D. program at the University of Houston. He was one of the “cool cats,” and I wasn’t. But when we reconnected in Denver, he became a lifelong friend. An astute and absurdly talented writer and critic, Marty was an epicure of fine poetry and an everlasting cheerleader for the students, and friends, he mentored. Going back to his work in Poetry magazine, I am made breathless, again, by the fire and beauty of his words.

Share more memories at a celebration of Marty McGovern's life, 7 p.m. Friday, August 2, at the Acoma (Curious Theatre) Center, 1080 Acoma Street. The memorial will also be livestreamed; find more information on the event website.