Paul Zimmer (born 1934 in

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes and ...

) 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 writte ...

, and editor.

Life

He flunked out of college, and worked in a steel mill. From 1954 to 1955 Zimmer served in the United States Army as a journalist. ''The Ribs of Death'', his first book, was published in 1968. He received a

Bachelor of Arts and Science Bachelor of Arts and Science(s) (BA&Sc, BASc, BAS, B.A.&Sc., B.A.Sc., or B.A.S.), sometimes also named Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA), is an undergraduate bachelor's degree conferred by a small number of universities from countries including the ...

degree from

Kent State University Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in As ...

in 1968. He has directed the university presses at Georgia, Iowa, and Pittsburgh, and helped found the

Pitt Poetry Series The ''Pitt Poetry Series'', published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, is one of the largest and best known lists of contemporary American poetry. History The Pitt Poetry Series was established in 1968 by pre ...

. His papers are held at Kent State.

Awards

* Open Book Award from the

American Society of Journalists and Authors The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) was founded in 1948 as the Society of Magazine Writers, and is the professional association of independent nonfiction writers in the United States. History The organization was established in ...

American Academy and Institute 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 headqua ...

* 1998

National Poetry Series The National Poetry Series is an American literary awards program. Every year since 1979, the National Poetry Series has sponsored the publication of five books of poetry. Manuscripts are solicited through an annual open competition, judged and cho ...

, for ''The Great Bird of Love'' * Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Arts and Sciences at

in 2004. * Two

NEA fellowship 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 ...

s * Helen Bullis Memorial Award * Two

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...

s * An Ohioana Award in 2005

Works

* ''The Ribs of Death'', October House, 1967 * ''The Republic of Many Voices'', October House, 1969 * ''A Seed in the Wind'', Three Rivers Press, C.M.U., 1975 * * * ''Family Reunion: Selected and New Poems'' (1983) * ''The Great Bird of Love'' (1989) * * *

Anthologies

* *

Memoir

* *

Reviews

It is not often that a “new and selected” documents the progressions, departures, and returns of a writer’s consciousness as lucidly and profoundly as Paul Zimmer’s ''Crossing to Sunlight Revisited'' (the long-awaited sequel to 1996's ''Crossing to Sunlight: Selected Poems''). Zimmer’s newer poems are at the start of the book; they chronicle his ascension into, what seems to be, comfortable old age. Note that “old” is not my word here; in fact, in his preface, Zimmer informs us that he is “no longer an aging poet or an older poet.” He says, “I am an old poet.” Melinda Wilson
"Crossing to Sunlight Revisited: New and Selected Poems by Paul Zimmer"
''Cold Front'', April 20, 2007.

References

External links

* * Dryad Press records at the

University of Maryland Libraries The University of Maryland Libraries is the largest university library in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore area. The university's library system includes eight libraries: six are located on the College Park campus, while the Severn Library, an of ...

. This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, and publication materials from Zimmer. {{DEFAULTSORT:Zimmer, Paul 1934 births Living people Poets from Ohio Writers from Canton, Ohio Kent State University alumni