Michael Glaser

Michael S. Glaser (March 20, 1943 - January 24, 2025) was an American poet and educator who served as Poet Laureate of Maryland from 2004 to 2009. He was also an advocate for women's rights and health, affordable housing, fatherhood, and writing and arts education in public schools.

Michael Schmidt Glaser was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1943. His father, Milton A. Glaser, was a chemist who had served in World War II. His mother, born Rona Schmidt, was a philosopher. Glaser is Jewish and is of Russian, Polish and German ancestry.

Glaser graduated from Denison University in Ohio in 1965 with a B.A. and from Kent State University in 1967 with a M.A. in English and a PhD in English in 1971. He was a teaching fellow at Kent State until 1970. While there, Glaser was involved with Students for a Democratic Society, anti-war protests and civil rights activism. Glaser did postdoctoral studies at the University of California at San Diego from 1974 to 1975.

Glaser was on campus on May 4, 1970, when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on student protesters in the Kent State Shootings, killing 4 people and injuring 9. Glaser saw the soldiers turn and fire on the protestors. Years later, while being interviewed by a reporter from the Southern Maryland News, said that he could not believe that it was real at first. As he ran from the soldiers, he said, "I was sure they were blanks. We were all sure they were blanks." After the shootings Glaser, who was a member of the American Civil Liberties Union, took testimonies from witnesses to the killings. He described the experience as being "a wake up call" for him.

Glaser began teaching at St. Mary's College of Maryland as a professor of English in the fall of 1970. Later, he served as head of the Division of Arts and Letters, and chair of the English department at St. Mary's College of Maryland, where he co-founded and directed the bi-annual Literary Festival and the annual Voices reading series For over 20 years, he has served as the Maryland State Arts Council poet-in-the-schools. And he served twice as a guest artist at the Maryland Artist and Teacher's Institute. After 38 years of teaching he retired and became a professor emeritus in 2008. After retirement, Glaser remained an active public speaker.

Glaser was appointed Poet Laureate of the State of Maryland on August 2, 2004, by Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. He served in that capacity until 2009. After accepting the post of Maryland's poet laureate, Glaser used the unpaid opportunity to work with teachers around the state to promote the inclusion of more poetry in the classroom.

Glaser wrote poetry for over 55 years, and has published over 500 poems in literary journals, newspapers and many anthologies. He has published several books of poetry and many chapbooks. He has edited books of poetry, including the posthumous works of his friend and colleague Lucille Clifton.

Glaser was a widely sought speaker and workshop leader.