Robert Pinsky

Robert Pinsky grew up in Long Branch, N.J., an historic seashore resort. His most recent book of poetry is At the Foundling Hospital. Other works include the best-selling translation The Inferno of Dante and in prose The Life of David, on the Biblical figure. Previous books include his Selected Poems. His autobiography, Jersey Breaks, will appear in October. His honors include the Korean Manhae Award, the Italian Premio Capri and the Harold Washington Award of the City of Chicago. He has honorary degrees from institutions including Stanford and the University of Michigan Robert Pinsky’s first two terms as United States Poet Laureate met such enthusiastic national response that he was appointed to an unprecedented third term. As Laureate, Pinsky founded the Favorite Poem Project, in which thousands of American readers, of varying backgrounds, ages, and regions, read their favorite poems. The videos at favoritepoem.org show that poetry has a vigorous presence in American culture. Pinsky is a William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor at Boston University. He is the only member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters to have appeared on The Colbert Report and The Simpsons.