Professor

Kevin Prufer is the author of several books of poetry and the editor of many volumes of American poetry and poetry in translation. His work has been translated into several languages and appears widely in the American literary press, including The Paris Review, Poetry, The New Republic, Tin House, The New England Review and elsewhere. With Wayne Miller, he directs The Unsung Masters Series (unsungmasters.org), a book series devoted to bringing great, little-known authors to new generations of readers.    

• Education
• Selected Publications
• Honors, Awards and Grants
• Classes Taught
• Research Interests 
• Current Book Project

Education

• Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. MFA, 1996.
• Hollins Graduate Writing Program, Roanoke, Virginia. M.A., 1994.
• Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut. B.A., 1992

Selected Publications

Books: as Author

• "The Art of Fiction: Poems" (New York: Four Way Books, 2021) 
• "How He Loved Them" (New York: Four Way Books, 2018) 
• "Churches" (New York: Four Way Books, 2014) 
• "In A Beautiful Country" (New York: Four Way Books, 2011) 
• "National Anthem" (New York: Four Way Books, 2008) 
• "Fallen from a Chariot" (Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2005) 
• "The Finger Bone" (Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2002) 
• "Strange Wood" (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1998)  

Books: as Editor

• "World’d Too Much: The Selected Poems of Russell Atkins." Edited with Robert McDonough. (Cleveland: Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 2019) 
• "Into English: Poems, Essays, Commentaries." Edited with Martha Collins. (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2017) 
• "Literary Publishing in the 21st Century." Edited with Wayne Miller and Travis Kurowski. (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2016) 
• "Until Everything is Continuous Again: Essays on W. S. Merwin," Edited with Jonathan Weinert. (Seattle: WordFarm Editions, 2012) 
• "New European Poets." Edited with Wayne Miller. (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press, 2008.) 
• "Dark Horses: Essays on Overlooked Poems." Edited with Joy Katz. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2007) 
• "New Young American Poets." (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2000) 

Recent Honors, Awards and Grants Received

• 2021 Texas Institute of Letters inductee 
• 2020 "Best American Poetry" selection 
• 2019 Julie Suk Award for best book from the American Literary Press 
• 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, long list 
• 2019 Rilke Prize for Poetry, short list 
• 2018 Lyric Poetry Prize of the Poetry Society of America 
• 2016 Pushcart Prize 
• 2015 New York Times Ten Best Poetry Books of the Year selection 
• 2012 Rilke Prize for Poetry, short list 
• 2012 Poets Prize, short list 
• 2011 Lannan Foundation Fellowship 
• 2010 Poets Prize, short list 

Classes Taught

• Poetry writing on all levels, undergraduate and graduate

Research Interests

• American poetry 
• Poetry in translation 

Current Book Project

• At work on a new book of poems and a book about the American short story writer Jean Ross Justice 

back to top