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Embracing Memphis: Why an acclaimed poet shares his passion for writing in his adopted home

By , Daily Memphian Updated: March 22, 2026 4:00 AM CT | Published: March 22, 2026 4:00 AM CT

Marcus Wicker couldn’t sleep.

It was a Sunday night in 2014, and he was staying at The Westin, just off Beale Street. An accomplished poet and professor at the University of Southern Indiana, he was scheduled to give a talk to students at Rhodes College the next day.

But the music from bars and clubs was so loud that he could hear it clearly in his room, and it kept him awake.

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Memphis University of Memphis creativity poetry passion creative writing art the arts Beale Street Music Subscriber Only

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John Klyce

John Klyce

John Klyce is an enterprise reporter with The Daily Memphian who writes a wide range of in-depth features, as well as profiles about local leaders, scientists, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone else doing exciting and important work in this city. He previously spent four years with the Memphis Business Journal, where he covered public companies, startups, and innovation, and a fifth year with The Commercial Appeal, where he covered education, and chronicled how gun violence and poverty were affecting Memphis youth and their families. He has also been a fellow with the Institute for Citizens and Scholars. John has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Memphis and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Boston University.


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