Naked at Last: A Conversation with F. Keith Wahle

F. Keith Wahle, the poet known for his unsettling and colorful work, was first published in The Paris Review while working at the Cincinnati Public Library. A conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, Wahle served as an orderly in a psych ward at the same hospital where he was born. His wife, Beth, who later became his wife of fifty-two years, helped him secure a job at the library where they worked together for three decades.

Wahle's poems often feature gags, hallucinatory imagery, and erotic obsessions. Despite their unconventional nature, they have never gained a wide audience. In a recent conversation, Wahle revealed that he does not use a computer at home, preferring the intuitive nature of a typewriter. He also showcased home movies from the 1970s and 2011, including a 16mm footage of performers in colorful underwear and a 2011 performance where Wahle appeared nude on stage.