Kenneth Koch

Born in Cincinnati, Kenneth Koch was a poet, playwright, short story author, and a professor of literature at Columbia University. He was associated with the New York School of poetry. Koch also created avant-garde dramatic performances and promoted the art of teaching poetry to wide audiences. Among his numerous honors were the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, the Bollingen Prize, and fellowships from the Fulbright, Guggenheim, and Ingram-Merrill Foundations.