Thomas John Carlisle

Who was Thomas John Carlisle?

Thomas John Carlisle was an American poet, Presbyterian minister, and an expert on Emily Dickinson. He was born in Plattsburgh, New York, the only son of Ruby Grace Mann and Thomas H. Carlisle. He married Dorothy Mae Davis on August 20, 1936, and was ordained minister at First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh in 1937. He also served as minister in Tupper Lake and New Delhi, New York. His served as pastor at Stone Street Presbyterian Church, Watertown, New York from 1949–1978. He retired from active ministry in 1978.

His published poetry collections include I Need a Century, You! Jonah!, Celebration, Mistaken Identity, Journey with Job, Eve and After: Old Testament Women in Portrait, Beginning with Mary: Women of the Gospels in Portrait, Invisible Harvest, and Looking for Jesus: Poems in Search of the Christ of the Gospels. His poetry has also appeared in the publications alive now!, the Chicago Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, and The New York Times. His love poem "Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One" with music by Dr. Arthur W. Frackenpohl has been published as a choir anthem and as a solo by Shawnee Press, Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania.