Matthew Rohrer (born 1970) is an American poet. Born in

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

, Michigan, Rohrer was raised in

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. He earned a BA from the University of Michigan (where he won a Hopwood Award for poetry) and a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

degree in poetry from the University of Iowa. His first book of poetry, ''A Hummock in the Malookas'' (1995), was selected by Mary Oliver for the 1994 National Poetry Series. In 2005, his collection ''A Green Light'' was shortlisted for the International Griffin Poetry Prize. James Tate said of ''A Green Light,'' "There are poems in A Green Light that can break your heart with their unexpected twists and turns. You think you know where you are and then you don't and it is inexplicably sad. You experience some kind of emotion that you can't even name, but it's deep and real. That's the power of Matthew Rohrer's new poems." He was a co-founder and poetry editor for ''Fence'' magazine. He lives in Brooklyn,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and teaches at New York University.

Bibliography

*''The Sky Contains the Plans'' ( Wave Books, 2020) *''The Others'' ( Wave Books, 2017) *''Surrounded by Friends'' ( Wave Books, 2015) *''Destroyer and Preserver'' ( Wave Books, 2011) *''A Plate of Chicken'' (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2009) *''Rise Up'' ( Wave Books, 2007) *''A Green Light'' (Verse Press, 2004) *''Nice Hat. Thanks.'' (Verse Press, 2002) – with

Joshua Beckman Joshua Beckman is an American poet. Life Joshua Beckman was born in 1971 New Haven, Connecticut, and graduated from Hampshire College. He is the author of eight collections of poetry, including ''The Inside of an Apple'' (which was a finalist fo ...

*''Satellite'' (Verse Press, 2001) *''A Hummock in the Malookas'' (1995)

Discography

*''Adventures While Preaching the Gospel of Beauty'' (2003) – with

References

External links

Matthew Rohrer's Author Page at Wave books''Fence'' magazineGriffin Poetry Prize reading, including video clip

Griffin Poetry Prize keynote speechFrom Town to Town They Go, A Busload of Poets, Rhymes in Tow, ''The New York Sun''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rohrer, Matthew 1970 births Living people American male poets Iowa Writers' Workshop alumni University of Michigan alumni 21st-century American poets Hopwood Award winners Writers from Brooklyn Writers from Ann Arbor, Michigan 21st-century American male writers