A Poetic Homecoming: Dave Oliphant, Ph.D. '75, Returns to NIU
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet

Dave Oliphant, Ph.D., '75, reunites with the press he helped bring to NIU in the 1970s. (Photo credit: NIU)

Fifty years after earning his Ph.D. in English, Dave Oliphant, ’75, returned to Northern Illinois University’s DeKalb campus not only as an award-winning poet and author, but as a man revisiting the pages of his own past. 

Oliphant’s writing has long served as a lens through which to view moments in time, and this visit offered a chance to look back at one of the most formative chapters in his life.

His time at NIU was more than academic; it was deeply personal. DeKalb was where his daughter, Elisa, was born and where his son, Darío, went to NIU lab school. Beyond the vibrant Huskie community, Oliphant and his late wife, María, found a home and joyful friendships in nearby Malta, Illinois. 

Visiting campus in early October 2025 with Elisa, Oliphant embraced the opportunity to celebrate cherished memories and reflect on his literary journey, deeply rooted in his NIU experience.

“Driving through the farmland and the corn was very emotional,” he said. “NIU was a wonderful experience in my life.”

“It’s been a long time since I dreamt of María,” Oliphant continued. “But, two nights ago I did. She had her back to me and was looking back at me over her shoulder—and now that I think about it, it was like she was looking back into the past.”

His visit was thoughtfully curated by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to showcase his professional legacy and share his wisdom with the next generation. Highlights included guest speaking in an intensive reading and literary analysis course, multiple poetry readings, a reception hosted by the Department of English, and lunch with faculty from the Department of World Languages and Cultures. 
 

After bringing a new press to NIU in the 1970s, the first item printed was Dave Oliphant's poem. (Photo credit: NIU)

A particularly poignant moment came at the Book Lab in the Founders Memorial Library, where Oliphant reunited with a printmaking press he helped bring to campus in the 1970s. 

“I went to Chicago with fellow instructors and brought this press to DeKalb,” Oliphant said. “The first thing ever printed on it was my poem about a famous writer in Texas who wrote about the environment. It was long, so they had to split it into two columns to fit on one page. I helped set the type.”

The Book Lab celebrates traditional bookmaking methods, offering students and visitors hands-on experiences in typesetting, printing and old-fashioned writing. During his visit, Oliphant and attendees handcrafted custom bookmarks—a fitting tribute to his enduring love of the written word.

It was at NIU that Oliphant honed his craft in writing long, epic poems, experimenting with new structures and themes that enabled deeper narrative exploration. 

“I began to write on themes and certain techniques that were new for me—structures that supported longer, more narrative poems,” he said. “That all began at NIU.” 

Oliphant earned his B.A. from Lamar University and his M.A. from the University of Texas. In 1965, he traveled to Chile through an exchange program between the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Chile in Santiago. The following year, he returned independently to teach, and during that time, he met María, who worked as a librarian. In her, he found a partner and his most profound muse. They married in 1967 and moved to Texas before relocating to New Mexico, where Oliphant pursued a Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of New Mexico while teaching at a junior college. 

Seeking a full-time teaching position, Oliphant called NIU’s English Department and serendipitously connected with a former Lamar English professor. He was offered a half- or three-quarter-time teaching role while pursuing his Ph.D. in English. In 1969, he packed up his family and moved to Illinois.
 

Darío, Elisa, and María are in the backyard of their home in Malta, Illinois. (Photo credit: Dave Oliphant)

From 1969 to 1974, Oliphant balanced his studies and teaching. He also nurtured his love of jazz. On a fluke, he participated in a trivia game broadcast on NIU’s NPR station. After answering correctly, he was invited to speak on-air about jazz and read his poetry. He fondly remembers attending the legendary Duke Ellington concert—believed to be Ellington’s last official performance—which led to the naming of the Holmes Student Center ballroom. 

Though his literary career is primarily centered on Texas history and Texas jazz—reflecting his longtime residency in the Lone Star State—Oliphant’s work also delves into deeply personal themes, including María and the people he met at NIU. One poem, written about NIU Professor Russell Durning, who directed Oliphant’s dissertation, captures the tragedy of the 1979 fire that claimed the lives of Durning and his family.

“If I were to write a poem today about my NIU visit, I would convey my gratefulness for all the support of people here,” Oliphant said. “I think about them almost daily, and for that reason, they appear in my past writings.”

“After NIU, I never turned down an opportunity to write,” he continued. “My openness developed at NIU as I saw worlds that I never expected or experienced.” 

Now retired after six decades of writing poetry and books, Oliphant’s career is lovingly chronicled on a Texas-sized website created by Elisa, which features family photos and captures the enduring love between her parents. 
 

As he reflected on his journey, Oliphant offered a message to aspiring writers and students:

“Don’t give up. If you’re truly wanting to achieve something, you just have to stick with it and suffer through the low points and ride on the high ones.”

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