Legacy Corner—Tony Crunk

“I was at the University of Kentucky from 1979-1981, but didn’t have a class with Jim,” relays Tony. “It was when I circled back through in 1983 that I met him. I had some friends who had taken Jim’s class and I decided to take it and we became friends. Over the years there were visits and calls where he was actively supporting my career.”

One of the most memorable moments of Tony’s career was orchestrated by the University of Kentucky Honors College who brought all three of the Kentucky poets to win the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award: Davis McCombs, Maurice Manning and Tony, to the University of Kentucky to honor them and their contributions to the Kentucky literary scene.

Tony recalls the essential Jim Hall as, “if you were in need, he would take you in…he was kind, loving and open. But, he was deadly serious about the power of art to heal ourselves and each other. Jim saw the need for art, but he could also laugh at the human project,” Tony states with a laugh.

When asked what he would ask his mentor today, Tony replied, “Let’s go for a walk.” Tony continues, “I would love to thank him for supporting my career. We would work out a lot of problems on those walks.”