Raymond Carver was an American short story and poem writer born in 1938. He was born in a small town in Oregon, which may have inspired why much of his work has to do with realism and minimalism. He started looking into writing, however, when he lived in California later in life. Many people feel that Carver based his work upon that of Ernest Hemingway, but that is not so, as he explained in one essay. Carver did not do well in school or college, maintaining a B- average. However, working in what he loved most, he gained a successful life, eventually destroying it early at the age of fifty due to heavy drinking.
One of Raymond Carver's most famous poems is inscribed on his tombstone is titled, "Gravy". The poem is quite short, and talks about his alcohol problems and how he temporarily overcame them. "Where Water Comes Together With Other Water" is a much longer poem, about 145 pages in normal print size. Some other poems by carver include, "Near Klamath", "Winter Insomnia", "At Night The Salmon Move", and "Fires".
