James O'Neil

About James:

James is a poet and scholar originally from Rochester, Michigan. At Principia College, a small liberal arts school in southwestern Illinois, James majored in English and Educational Studies before heading to the University of Iowa for his master’s degree and PhD. While studying American literature in Iowa, he met his spouse and moved to New York City, where he defended his dissertation remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. James and his spouse lived in Arizona and Massachusetts before moving to Oregon in 2025, where they finally feel at home.

Jame’s poems have appeared in Image, Relief, and The Dewdrop, and his scholarly publications explore the writings of American poets, Walt Whitman, William Carlos Williams, and Edgar Lee Masters. James is currently studying dream work with The Haden Institute and is a member of the Oregon Friends of Jung.

Arrival at Trinity:

On July 27, 2025, his first Sunday in the strange city of Portland and still waiting for the moving trucks to arrive, James attended the service at Trinity because it was within walking distance of his empty apartment. While he intended to “shop around” for a new church, Trinity’s art and education programs kept him coming back to the cathedral. Eventually he took the Catechesis class and was confirmed in June 2026.

Fun Fact:

James and his spouse are parents to a schnauzer, Lola, and a tortoise shell cat, Dumpling. Bucking the stereotype, this cat and dog get along as well as any other pair of siblings!