From the battlefields of Vietnam to the pages of powerful verse, Covington-born poet R.L. Barth has spent a lifetime turning his lived experiences into art that refuses to look away from the truth. Behringer-Crawford Museum’s next NKY History Hour will feature his remarkable journey on Tuesday, October 7, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom and Facebook Live in “A NKY Voice in Vietnam: The Poems of R.L. Barth.”
R.L. (Robert) Barth, a Covington-born poet, Marine veteran of Vietnam and former Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, will share his extraordinary journey from growing up in Erlanger, Kentucky and graduating from Covington Catholic High School to enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps. At just 21 years old, Barth led his first patrol as a corporal with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, ensuring the safety of his 10-man team in the unforgiving jungles and mountains of Vietnam.
Drawing on these experiences, Barth has devoted his career to poetry that seeks truth rather than glorification. His works—spanning narrative poems and epigrams—confront the realities of war while reflecting on politics, culture and memory. His many publications include A Soldier’s Time: Vietnam War Poems (a finalist for the Los Angeles Times’ Robert Kirsch Award), Deeply Dug In, No Turning Back: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Learning War: Selected Vietnam War Poems and That Mad Game.
Barth will read and discuss selected poems, offering insight into what may have been going through his mind at pivotal moments in combat and in reflection. He will also share his path as a writer, teacher, editor and publisher, and reflect on the role of poetry in making sense of history.
Adding context, BCM Curator of Collections Jason French will provide a historical perspective on the Vietnam draft and enlistment climate in Northern Kentucky, underscoring the importance of preserving personal voices like Barth’s in understanding the human impact of war.
NKY History Hour is a virtual program, offered exclusively online. Participation is free, but registration is required to join via Zoom.
The event will also be streamed live on BCM’s Facebook page. All past NKY History Hour episodes can be viewed at bcmuseum.org.
NKY History Hour programs take place every other Tuesday evening. To support NKY History Hour and access many other entertaining and thought-provoking programs, join BCM. Donations to support the museum’s educational programming are welcome at www.bcmuseum.org.
Behringer-Crawford Museum