Francis Poole was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont and his family moved to Florida where Poole attended high school in Tarpon Springs. By 1971, Francis Poole graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor's degree in English. While he was a student, Poole edited the literary magazine "Zephyr." After graduation along with Bert Furbee, they edited another literary magazine "Skullpolish." In 1974 he received a fellowship to the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire. In 1977, Poole began publishing and editing "Blades" which he describes as "a tiny magazine." "Blades," in fact, is considered a poetry magazine of importance for both its content and its design which falls within the book arts category. In 1990, Poole joined the staff of the University of Delaware Library. Poole is the curator of the Paul Bowles Collection at the University of Delaware. Poole retired in 2017 from the University of Delaware. The collection at FAU Libraries consists of Poole's published books of poetry and the magazines he edited after graduating from Florida Atlantic University. His poetry has appeared in several notable publications: Southern Poetry Review, Shattered Wig Review, Rolling Stone, Philadelphia Poets, Village Voice, and the New York Quarterly.
