Allen Grossman, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities in the English Department, has won the prestigious Bollingen Prize in American Poetry, awarded biennially by Yale University. The prize is awarded for the “best book published during the previous two years or for lifetime achievement in poetry”. Previous winners include Wallace Stevens, Marianne Moore, W. H. Auden, E. E. Cummings, Louise Glück, and Adrienne Rich.
The Judges described Grossman as a “profoundly original American poet whose work embraces the co-existence of comedy and tragedy.” He is the author of many books of poetry, his most recent being “Descartes’ Loneliness” (2007). Professor Grossman came to Johns Hopkins in 1991 from Brandeis, where he had taught for over 30 years. He has won numerous other awards and honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship and 3 Pushcart Prizes.
Text of the complete official announcement, including several poems by Professor Grossman.