he spent most of his childhood in iowa before moving to south dakota, where he worked as a sports writer, jazz singer, and ranch hand. from 1978 to 1983, lusk did a weekly radio commentary on books that was syndicated on national public radio. in the same era, he led student-teacher workshops for the national endowment for the arts' poets-in-the-schools program. after earning a master's degree at the university of south dakota, lusk was an administrator and lecturer in english at the university of vermont.