Steven Owen Shields

Steven Owen Shields (September 28, 1952) is an American poet born to Conrad and Jessamine Shields. Steve is the oldest of four brothers, Jeff, Randy, and Brian. Steve and his wife of 27 years, Janet have two children, Bradford and Alyson, and reside in Duluth, Georgia.

Early Life

Shields was born in Marion, Indiana on September 28th, 1952. He attended Evans Elementary School, McCulloch Junior High School, and Marion High School. After graduating from high school in 1970, he attended Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, where he received a B.A.in Radio-TV-Film in 1974 and an M.A. in Journalism in 1978. He earned a Ph.D. in Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1988.

Disc Jockey Experiences

Steve became a DJ in his early twenties. He worked for WSTU, WGOM, WNAP and Kiss 99 while getting his doctoral degree in communication and becoming a college Professor at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He was program manager for both Kiss 99 and WNAP in addition to being The All-night announcer. Shields was a part of the "Underground FM Radio Revolution" in the 1970s, going so far as to personally install stereo systems in listener's cars in an effort to draw ratings.

College Professor Experience

Steve worked at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for 20 years, where he taught mass-communication and was head administrator of the college radio station. In 1997, his wife Janet received a job in Atlanta. He then retired to spend more time with his son and daughter while Janet was at work.

Entering the Poetry Scene

Originally, Steve's interest was encouraged by his high-school English teacher, Sue Keefer, who assigned his class to write some sonnets. As he eloquently states, "I was a lonely, nerdy teen, so I spent many hours at the Marion Public Library, reading Theodore Roethke and John Ciardi, among others. I was especially drawn to the idealism of the Romantic poets. Many NiGHTS I would fall asleep reading Byron and Shelley."

Initially, Shields had his sights set for writing novels and other narratives that could earn income. "I started with high hopes, but eventually wrote myself into a corner on page 83." Fed up with the frustration of a long narrative, a thought entered his mind at one of the most peculiar times of the day. In 2000, Steve was driving home from the local Kroger when he thought AbOUT writing poetry. His immediate reaction was angry as he thought "only wusses did poetry." A few weeks after, he began work on what was to be his first book.

Daimonion Sonata

Daimonion Sonata was released on May 5, 2005, and ceased printing on June 6, 2006. He has his own personal website,http://www.stevenowenshields.com, where one can order a copy of his book and go to his poetry blog. The book deals mainly with Shields' fascination with the unknown, spirituality and self-realization. Poems of his include "Strap-hanging Through Paradise," "On Owen Island," and perhaps his most known poem, "Mostly Whispered in my Ear by Angels." The book was hand-pressed by Birch Brook Press, and hand-colored. As with most first editions, these books are considered very valuable, sometimes fetching $63 when it was still in print, as opposed to the $15 originally offered at his website.

Current Status

Steve is currently enjoying life with his family. He actively participates in the Georgia Poetry Society (where he served as president from 2003 to 2005) and recently attended the 30th WNAP reunion.

sources: Steven Shields, http://www.stevenowenshields.com/bio.htm

Daimonion Sonata, Birch Brook Press, 2005, Delhi, New York