▁the ▁eastern ▁United ▁States . ▁He ▁was ▁officially ▁named ▁Roy ▁Gl enn ▁Bent ley ▁II ▁by ▁his ▁parents , ▁both ▁from ▁eastern ▁Kentucky , ▁the ▁late ▁Roy ▁Gl enn ▁Bent ley ▁Sr ., ▁a ▁civil ▁servant , ▁and ▁the ▁late ▁N ett ie ▁D . ▁( née ▁Pot ter ) ▁Bent ley . ▁Po et ▁Roy ▁Bent ley ▁is ▁currently ▁married ▁to ▁Gl oria ▁Reg al b uto ▁Bent ley . ▁ ▁Education ▁and ▁career ▁Bent ley ▁is ▁quoted ▁as ▁being ▁inspired ▁to ▁start ▁writing ▁poetry ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 5 ▁after ▁watching ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁movie ▁E asy ▁R ider . ▁Bent ley ▁graduated ▁from ▁Ohio ▁University ▁and ▁has ▁taught ▁cre ative ▁writing ▁at ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities ▁including ▁Den ison ▁University , ▁Ohio ▁University , ▁H ock ing ▁College , ▁and ▁Central ▁Ohio ▁Techn ical ▁College ▁in ▁New ark , ▁Ohio . ▁ ▁Po etic ▁them es ▁Bent ley ' s ▁works ▁have ▁been ▁noted ▁as ▁foc using ▁on ▁what ▁he ▁calls ▁the ▁' d ifferent ▁in ▁America ' ▁by ▁person ifying ▁the ▁un he ard ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁capt uring ▁the ▁voice ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁for ▁whom ▁the ▁so - called ▁American ▁Dream ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁so ▁char itable ▁and ▁expl oring ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁people ▁of ▁lower ▁so cio e conom ic ▁standing , ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁veter ans , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁highlight ing ▁the ▁strugg les ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁contemporary ▁society . ▁Women ▁as ▁moth ers