He received his bachelor's degree in English and philosophy from Belmont University in 1982, magna cum laude; his master's degree in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin in 1985; and his doctorate in philosophy from the same institution in 1987.

He has taught in a number of positions at the Kansas City Art Institute — lecturer-in-residence, 1987–1988; assistant professor, 1988–1994; associate professor, 1994–1998; professor, 1998–2002; interim vice president for academic affairs, 1996–1998. Later he was vice president for academic affairs and professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art. He has been MFA program director and professor at the University of Wyoming since 2005.

Poetry

• Chromatic, Etruscan Press (2006) ISBN 9780974599564
• Shadows of Houses, Etruscan Press (2005) ISBN 9780974599540
• Surely As Birds Fly, Truman State University Press (March 2002, paperback) ISBN 9781931112055
• Rational Numbers, Truman State University Press (2000)
• Perfect Hell, Gibbs Smith (August 1996) ISBN 9780879057800

Prose

• As Easy As Lying: Essays on Poetry Etruscan Press (2002)
• Morte d'Author: An Autopsy, Temple University Press (1990)

Translations

• City of Ash, Eugenijus Ali?anka, Northwestern University Press (2000) ISBN 9780810117839

Edited Books

• A Casebook on The Tunnel, Web-published, Dalkey Archive (2000)
• Poets At Large: 25 Poets in 25 Homes, Helicon Nine (1997)