Dr. Laurence Musgrove: Composition, Creative Writing, and Literature with a Buddhist Perspective

Dr. Laurence Musgrove is an English professor at Angelo State University with an approach to teaching composition, creative writing, and literature through the lens of a Buddhist perspective. Alongside his academic endeavors, he is also a poet, being the proud author of three captivating collections of verse published by Lamar University Literary Press, those being A Stranger’s Heart, Local Bird, and The Bluebonnet Sutras.

Book photos courtesy of San Angelo Literary Press

Musgrove's commitment to nurturing emerging writers is evident in initiatives like the Texas Poetry Assignment, a testament to his dedication to cultivating literary communities. TPA is a non-profit started during the COVID pandemic of 2020. The Assignments provided by TPA are meant to support writers in isolation as well as hunger relief. Participating in the Assignments is a free and some pieces are published in print. 

You can support TPA and hunger relief by submitting to the Assignments and by purchasing print editions. All proceeds are given to Feeding Texas, a non-profit that provides food and nutrition education to Texans. You can also donate to Feeding Texas directly through the same link. 

Photo of San Angelo by Debbie Hernandez

Drawing inspiration from the mentors and peers who once ignited his own creative spark, Musgrove pays it forward, empowering aspiring writers with the same supportive energy he once received from fellow artists in music and painting.

Here's a glimpse into his poetic world, featuring excerpts from A Stranger’s Heart and an unpublished sutra:

Waiting 

There’s no way 
To tell when 
A poem will come. 
Just like how 
A cloud must 
Wait to learn 
What new color 
It will wear 
As the morning 
Wakes up with 
A dog barking 
In the distance 
Getting ready for 
The poem his day.  

Photo of San Angelo cacti by Courtney Rose 

Boxes Sutra 

“You don’t have to be holy,” the Buddha said. 

“Just look around you and notice with a smile 

How you’ve attached yourself so tightly 

To what you’re increasingly unable to carry 

Or what you’re so tired of defending: 

How fearful and tired you’ve become, 

Even upon waking when your body says, 

‘Let’s stay in bed and do some more dreams.’” 

Photo of San Angelo by Debbie Hernandez
 

“Your chance of sainthood is slim,” said the Buddha, 

“But you could begin by unsubscribing  

From what is weighing you down. Reflect 

On what you own and what owns you, 

Like all those boxes you stored away  

And haven’t touched for two or more years, 

The resentments that cloud your heart, 

The lies you tell yourself and tape shut.”  

Photo of San Angelo cactus bloom by Courtney Rose