Clem Stambaugh

Since 2020, Clem Stambaugh has pushed the boundaries of what poetry can be and, in doing so, has garnered high praise.

Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr., the acclaimed author of Gay Poems for Red States, says, “Clem recognizes the role of images, of beauty, in drawing in others. His work paints with similar brush strokes: drawing in, demanding to be seen, creating beauty where we might not have anticipated it.” Stambaugh’s first collection of poetry, 2020’s In Black and Light, quickly rose to be an Amazon No. 1 seller upon release. Likewise, his second volume, The Ghosts of Gold, released in 2023, skipped quickly to No. 1 and was tapped by the New York-based Independent Press Awards as a Distinguished Favorite. Clem's latest release Hisses Like Whispers is his first to fully embrace narrative poetry and the supernatural with a tale of a woman, a man, and a vampire. Clem lives in Lexington, Kentucky, with his spouse, Ben Kincer, and an ever-growing number of cats. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Fine Arts.

Poetry is his passion.