David Shapiro (poet)

David Shapiro (born January 2, 1947) is an American poet, literary critic, and art historian. He has written some twenty volumes of poetry, literary, and art criticism. He was first published at the age of thirteen, and his first book was published when he was just eighteen.

Education and teaching
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Shapiro grew up in Newark and attended Weequahic High School then Columbia University, from which he holds a B.A. (magna cum laude) and a Ph.D. (with distinction). He subsequently studied at the University of Cambridge, from which he holds degrees with first honors.

He achieved brief notoriety during the 1968 student uprising at Columbia, when he was photographed sitting behind the desk of President Grayson L. Kirk wearing dark glasses and smoking a cigar; Shapiro later described the cigar as "horrible".

David's grandfather was a cantor well known in the American Yiddish community. David has perfect pitch and is an accomplished violinist. (It's said he once played the violin for John Lennon.) His wife is an exhibition manager at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. David can often be seen at art galleries and museums, teaching, always teaching.

Shapiro has taught at Columbia, Bard College, the Cooper Union, Princeton University, and William Paterson University. He also appeared on Lucky Ladders in 1992 under the pseudonym "Hats Le Gunter". He won an Indesit combination Fridge Freezer and an all inclusive trip to the Bansko Ski resort in Bulgaria.

Works
Shapiro wrote the first monograph on John Ashbery, the first book on Jim Dine’s paintings, the first book on Piet Mondrian’s flower studies, and the first book on Jasper Johns’ drawings. He has translated Rafael Alberti’s poems on Pablo Picasso, and the writings of the Sonia and Robert Delaunay.

List of works

 * January: A Book of Poems–Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1965
 * Poems From Deal–E P Dutton, 1969
 * An Anthology of New York Poets (co-editor)–Random House, 1970
 * A Man Holding an Acoustic Panel–E P Dutton, 1971 (National Book Award Nominee)
 * The Page Turner–Liveright, 1973
 * Lateness: A Book of Poems–Overlook/Viking, 1977
 * Introduction to John Ashbery’s Poetry–Columbia University Press, 1979
 * The Writings of Sonia and Robert Delaunay (co-translator)–Viking, 1979
 * Jim Dine–Abrams, 1981; Alecta Press (German edition and translation)
 * Lateness (Watercolors by Lucio Pozzi)–Generations Press, Paris, 1981
 * To An Idea–Overlook/Viking, 1984
 * Jasper Johns–Abrams, 1984
 * House (Blown Apart): A Book of Poems–Overlook/Viking, 1988
 * Mondrian: Flowers–Abrams, 1991
 * The Selected Poems of Jacques Dupin (co-translator)–Wake Forest, 1992
 * The Eight Names of Picasso (co-translator)–Gas Station Editions, 1992
 * After A Lost Original (etching by Terry Winters)–Solo Press, 1992
 * The Green Lake is Awake: The Selected Poems of Joseph Ceravolo (co-editor)–CoffeeHouse Press, 1994
 * After A Lost Original–Overlook Press, 1994
 * Body of Prayer (Shapiro, Govrin, Derrida)–Cooper Union Press, 1998
 * A Burning Interior–Overlook Press, 2002
 * Rabbit Duck (Collaborative with Richard Hell) – Repair, 2005
 * New and Selected Poems (1965–2006)–Overlook Press, 2007

Awards
Shapiro has won National Endowment for the Humanities and National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, been nominated for a National Book Award, and been the recipient of numerous grants for his work.

List of fellowships, honors, awards and grants

 * Gotham Book Mart Avant-Garde Poetry Award–1962
 * Bread Loaf Writers Conference, Robert Frost Fellow–1965
 * Merrill Foundation, Grant–1967
 * Book of the Month Club Writing Award–1968
 * Clare College, Cambridge University–Kellett Fellowship, Awarded by Columbia College–1968–1970
 * Woodrow Wilson Fellowship–1970
 * Clare College, Cambridge University–First Honors, Book Prize, Scholar–1970
 * Columbia University, NDEA Grant–1970–1971
 * National Book Award, Nominated–1971
 * Creative Artists Public Service Grant–1973
 * Council for the Humanities, Grants–1973, 1976, 1978
 * Columbia University, Chamberlain Fellowship–1976
 * American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, Zabel Prize–1977
 * National Endowment for the Humanities, Fellowship–1979–1980
 * National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Writing–1980
 * Princeton University, Faculty Fellow–1985–1986
 * National Endowment for the Humanities, Fellow, USCS at Santa Cruz–1987
 * Asia Society Colophon Award–1998
 * Graham Foundation Grant–1990
 * The America Awards for Literature, Belles Lettres–The Green Lake is Awake: Selected Poems of Joseph Ceravolo (Co-Editor)–1994
 * Fund for Poetry–1995
 * Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award, 1996

Personal life
Shapiro lives in Riverdale, The Bronx, New York City, with his wife and son.