CLEATUS RATTAN is Mayborn Professor of English at The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. His book The Border (Texas Review Press, 2002) received The Texas Review Poetry prize and was later selected for study by high school students across the state of Texas in UIL competitions in literary criticism. Rattan is the first living poet to be so honored. Rattan was selected as Poet Laureate of Texas for the years 2004-05 and was cited as a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M University - Commerce in 2004. National Public Radio interviewed him and asked him to read four of his poems for the second inauguration of President Bush. Rattan is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, the University of North Texas, Hardin- Simmons University, and Texas A&M University - Commerce.
