Henri Cole (born 1956) is an American

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

, who has published many collections of poetry and a memoir. His books have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Arabic.

Biography

Henri Cole was born in

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, to an American father and French-Armenian mother, and raised in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. His father, a North Carolinian, enlisted in the service after graduating from high school and, while stationed in

Marseilles Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...

, met Cole's mother, who worked at the PX. Together they lived in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the mo ...

Nevada, Missouri Nevada ( ''nə--də'') is a city in and the county seat of Vernon County, on the western border of Missouri, United States. The population was 8,386 at the 2010 census, and 8,254 in the 2018 estimate. The local government has a council-manager ...

and

, where Cole attended public schools and

the College of William and Mary ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

. He has published ten collections of poetry in English. From 1982 until 1988 he was executive director of The

Academy of American Poets The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetry through outrea ...

. Since that time he has held many teaching positions and been artist-in-residence at various institutions, including

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , p ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

Davidson College Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after Revolutionary War general William Lee Davidson, who was killed at the nearby Battle of Cowan� ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publi ...

Reed College Reed College is a private liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus in the Eastmoreland neighborhood, with Tudor- Gothic style architecture, and a forested canyon nature preserve a ...

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith (Smith College ...

The College of William and Mary ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

, and

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the w ...

. He has collaborated with the visual artists Jenny Holzer and Kiki Smith. And from 2010 to 2014, he was poetry editor of

The New Republic ''The New Republic'' is an American magazine of commentary on politics, contemporary culture, and the arts. Founded in 1914 by several leaders of the progressive movement, it attempted to find a balance between "a liberalism centered in hum ...

. Cole currently teaches at

Claremont McKenna College Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It has a curricular emphasis on government, economics, public affairs, finance, and international relations. CMC is a member of the Claremont Colleges c ...

Books of poetry

* 2023: ''Gravity and Center (Selected Sonnets, 1994-2022)'', New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux * 2021: ''Der sichtbare Mensch (Ausgewählte Gedicht)'', (German translation by Hans Raimund), Vienna: Löcker * 2020: ''Blizzard'', New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux * 2015: ''Nothing to Declare'', New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux * 2015: ''Le Merle, Le Loup suivi de Toucher'' (French translation by Claire Malroux), Paris: Le bruit du temps * 2011: ''Touch'', New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux * 2011: ''Terre Médiane'' (French translation by Claire Malroux), Paris: Le bruit du temps * 2010: ''Mirlo y Lobo'' (Spanish translation by Eduardo López Truco), Cantabria: Quálea Editorial * 2010: ''Autoritratto con Gatti'' (Italian translation by Massimo Bacigalupo), Parma: Guanda Editore * 2010: ''Pierce the Skin (Selected Poems, 1982-2007)'', New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux * 2008: ''La Apariencia de la Cosas'' (Spanish translation by Eduardo López Truco), Cantabria: Quálea Editorial * 2007: ''Blackbird and Wolf'', New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux * 2005: ''Vingt-Deux Poèmes'' (French translation by Claire Malroux), Paris: Yvon Lambert * 2003: ''Middle Earth'', New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux * 1998: ''The Visible Man'', New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux * 1995: ''The Look of Things'' * 1989: ''The Zoo Wheel of Knowledge'' * 1986: ''The Marble Queen''

Books of prose

* 2020: باريس الأورفيّة: السّياحة الأدبية في باريس (''Orphic Paris'', Arabic translation by Amani Lazar), United Arab Emirates: Rewayat Books * 2018: ''Orphic Paris'', New York, New York Review Books * 2018: ''Paris-Orphée ''(French translation by Claire Malroux), Paris: Le bruit du temps

Awards and honors

* 2017 —

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...

, Elected Member * 2016 —

, Award of Merit Medal in Poetry * 2014 —

Radcliffe Institute The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University—also known as the Harvard Radcliffe Institute—is a part of Harvard University that fosters interdisciplinary research across the humanities, sciences, social sciences, arts, a ...

for Advanced Study at Harvard, Fellow * 2012 — The Thom Gunn Award for Poetry for ''Touch'', Publishing Triangle * 2012 — The Jackson Poetry Prize for ''Touch'', Poets & Writers * 2011 — Harvard University

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

poet * 2011 — Finalist, Los Angeles Times Book Award in Poetry for ''Pierce the Skin (Selected Poems 1982-2007)'' * 2010 —

American Academy of Arts & Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, an ...

, elected member * 2009 — Sara Teasdale Award in Poetry, Wellesley College * 2009 —

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

Literature Fellowship * 2008 — Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize for ''Blackbird and Wolf'', Academy of American Poets * 2008 — Ambassador Book Award in Poetry for ''Blackbird and Wolf'', English-Speaking Union of the United States * 2008 — Massachusetts Book Award in Poetry for ''Blackbird and Wolf'' * 2008 —

Lambda Literary Award Lambda Literary Awards, also known as the "Lammys", are awarded yearly by Lambda Literary to recognize the crucial role LGBTQ writers play in shaping the world. The Lammys celebrate the very best in LGBTQ literature.The awards were instituted ...

in Poetry for ''Blackbird and Wolf'' * 2007 —

United States Artists United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards. Mission The organization' ...

USA Hildreth/Williams Fellow, Literature * 2004 —

Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award The Kingsley and Kate Tufts Poetry Awards are a pair of American prizes based at Claremont Graduate University. They are given to poets for their collections of poetry written in the English language, by a citizen or legal resident alien of the U ...

for ''Middle Earth'' * 2004 —

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Olga and Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died on April 26, 1922. The organization awards Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been ...

Fellowship * 2004 — Award in Literature,

* 2004 — Finalist,

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had ma ...

in Poetry for ''Middle Earth'' * 2004 — Finalist, Los Angeles Times Book Award in Poetry for '' Middle Earth'' * 2004 — Massachusetts Book Award in Poetry for ''Middle Earth'' * 2001 — Japan-United States Friendship Commission, Creative Artist Fellowship * 2000 — Berlin Prize, American Academy in Berlin * 1995 —

Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Prizes have been awarded annually since 1921, with a hiatus ...

in Literature, American Academy of Arts and Letters * 1993 —

Literature Fellowship * 1989 — Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship * 1985 —

Ingram Merrill Foundation The Ingram Merrill Foundation was a private foundation established in the mid-1950s by poet James Merrill (1926-1995), using funds from his substantial family inheritance.J. D. McClatchyBraving the Elements ''The New Yorker'', 27 March 1995. Retrie ...

Award (also 1990)

Personal life

Cole is openly gay, though in his early work he turned to "nature as a mask for writing about private feelings." He came out as he "felt a need to speak as a gay man, since until recently we were not encouraged by society to love one another, marry, and have children. So if I have an ethics, it is simply to be true, but never at the expense of original language."

References

External links

Official website

Academy of American Poets -- Henri Cole's webpage
* Twitter -- @ColeHenri
THE NATION -- "The Art of Violent Concision"

THE NEW REPUBLIC -- "Making a Soul"

An interview: "What is American about American poetry"
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Henri 1956 births American male poets American writers of Armenian descent Columbia University staff Harvard University staff College of William & Mary alumni American gay writers Smith College faculty Living people Lambda Literary Award winners Berlin Prize recipients American LGBT poets Gay academics Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters