Clayton Eshleman was born on June 1, 1935 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the son of Ira Clayton Eshleman (1895-1971) and Gladys Maine (Spenser) Eshleman (1898-1970). The poet's father was employed as a time-and-motion study efficiency engineer at Kingan and Company, a slaughterhouse and meat-packer. The family lived in the 1800 block of North Delaware Street. As a child the poet was forbidden from playing with children whose parents drink alcohol, with children of different races or religions, or whose mothers wear pants outside of the home.