About Ted Kooser

The United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004 - 2006

Professional Information

Ted sitting in an adirondack chair Ted posing in a barn door Ted in front of a red barn wall

I am Presidential Professor Emeritus at The University of Nebraska, where I taught the writing of poetry. My own poems have been collected in a number of full-length volumes and special editions and have appeared in many literary periodicals. A number of my poems appear in textbooks and anthologies currently in use in secondary school and college classrooms.

For fifteen years I edited a weekly newspaper column, “American Life in Poetry,” which continues to be carried in a number of newspapers and is available online at www.americanlifeinpoetry.org. The column had an estimated circulation of over four and a half million readers around the world.

In the past few years I have enjoyed writing for children, and those books are listed below.

Biographical Data

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Born April 25, 1939, in Ames, Iowa. Attended Ames Public Schools, Iowa State University (B.S. 1962), and the University of Nebraska (M.A. 1968). Worked for many years as a life insurance executive; now retired and teaching half time at The University of Nebraska. Married to Kathleen Rutledge, retired editor of The Lincoln Journal Star. One son, Jeff, two granddaughters, Margaret and Penelope, and three great grandchildren.

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Literary Biography: The Poetry and Life of Ted Kooser, by Mary K. Stillwell; University of Nebraska Press, 2013.

Compilation of Interviews, Critical Comments, and Literary Reminiscences: The Weight of the Weather; Regarding the Poetry of Ted Kooser, ed. by Mark Sanders. Stephen F. Austin University Press, 2017

Compilation of essays, reminiscences and poems written for Ted Kooser upon his retirement from teaching: More in Time, University of Nebraska Press, 2021


Books Published

Poetry

Official Entry Blank, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, 1969
A Local Habitation & A Name, Solo Press, San Luis Obispo, 1974
Not Coming to be Barked At, Pentagram Press, Milwaukee, 1976
Sure Signs, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1980
One World at a Time, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985
The Blizzard Voices, Bieler Press, St. Paul, 1986. Reprinted in 2006 by University of Nebraska Press
Weather Central, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1994
Winter Morning Walks; 100 Postcards to Jim Harrison, Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2000
Braided Creek, with Jim Harrison. Copper Canyon Press, 2003
Delights and Shadows. Copper Canyon Press, 2004
Flying at Night, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2005
Valentines, University of Nebraska Press, 2007
Splitting an Order, Copper Canyon Press, 2014
Kindest Regards: New and Selected Poems, Copper Canyon Press, 2018
Red Stilts, Copper Canyon Press, 2020
Cotton Candy; Poems Dipped Out off the Air, University of Nebraska Press, 2022

Nonfiction

Local Wonders; Seasons in the Bohemian Alps. University of Nebraska Press, 2002
The Poetry Home Repair Manual, University of Nebraska Press, 2005
Writing Brave and Free; Encouraging Words for People Who Want to Start Writing (with Steve Cox), University of Nebraska Press, 2006
Lights on a Ground of Darkness, University of Nebraska Press, 2009
The Wheeling Year; A Poet's Field Book, University of Nebraska Press, 2014

Children's Books

Bag in the Wind, Candlewick Press, 2010
The House Held Up by Trees, Candlewick Press, 2012
The Bell in the Bridge, Candlewick Press, 2016
Mr. Posey's New Glasses, Candlewick Press, 2019
Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play Among Figures of Speech, a collaboration with Connie Wanek, Candlewick Press, 2022

Chapbooks and Special Editions

Grass County, privately printed, 1971
Twenty Poems, Best Cellar Press, Crete, NE, 1973
Shooting a Farmhouse/So This is Nebraska, Ally Press, St. Paul, 1975
Hatcher, Windflower Press, 1976
Voyages to the Inland Sea, with Harley Elliott, Center for Contemporary Poetry, LaCrosse, WI, 1976
Old Marriage and New, Cold Mountain Press, Austin, TX, 1978
Cottonwood County, with William Kloefkorn, Windflower Press, 1979
Etudes, Bits Press, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 1992
A Book of Things, Lyra Press, Lincoln, 1995
A Decade of Ted Kooser Valentines, Penumbra Press, Omaha, 1996
Lights on a Ground of Darkness, University of Nebraska Press, 2005. (Limited clothbound edition, numbered and signed, and given to friends of the university.)
Out of the Moment, Brooding Heron Press, Waldron Island, WA, 2006
Together, Brooding Heron Press, Waldron Island, WA, 2012
Pursuing Blackhawk, Cedar Creek Press, 2013
At Home, Comstock Review Poetry Press, 2017
Cora, (fiction) Route 1 Press, Anamosa, IA, 2019
A Suite of Moons, Gibraltar Editions, Omaha, 2021
Man With a Rake, Pulley Press, 2022

Books Edited

The Windflower Home Almanac of Poetry, Windflower Press, 1980
The Poets Book of Birds with Judith Kitchen, Anhinga Press, 2009
Darkened Rooms of Summer; New and Selected Poems by Jared Carter, University of Nebraska Press, 2014
Rival Gardens; New and Selected Poems by Connie Wanek, University of Nebraska Press, 2016
The Woods are on Fire; New and Selected Poems by Fleda Brown, University of Nebraska Press, 2017
Regular Haunts by Gerald Constanzo, University of Nebraska Press, 2018
Carrying Water to the Field by Joyce Sutphen, University of Nebraska Press, 2019
The Track the Whales Make by Marge Saiser, 2021
Produce Wagon by Roy Scheele, 2022

Awards and Honors

Prairie Schooner Prize in Poetry, 1976 and 1978
Writing Fellowships, National Endowment for the Arts, 1976 and 1984
Society of Midland Authors Poetry Prize, 1980
Stanley Kunitz Poetry Prize, Columbia Magazine, 1984
Pushcart Prize, 1984
Governor's Art Award, 1988
Mayor's Art Award, 1989
Richard Hugo Prize, Poetry Northwest, 1994
James Boatwright Award, Shenandoah, 2000
Nebraska Arts Council Merit Award in Poetry, 2000
Mari Sandoz Award, Nebraska Library Association, 2000
Nebraska Book Award for poetry, 2001
Barnes & Noble Discover Nonfiction Prize, third place, 2003
Friends of American Writers Prize, 2003
Honorable Mention, Society of Midland Authors nonfiction prize, 2003
First place, ForeWord Magazine autobiographical writing competition, 2003
The Best American Poetry, 2003
Nebraska Book Award for nonfiction, 2003
Society of Midland Authors Poetry Prize (with Jim Harrison, 2004)
Named United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, 2004
Honorary Doctorate, University of Nebraska, 2004
Delights & Shadows named as aBest Book of the Year for 2004
Reappointed U. S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. 2005
Honorary Doctorate, South Dakota State University, 2005
American Library Association Notable Book Citation for Delights & Shadows, 2005
Milton Kessler Award, State University of New York at Binghamton, 2005
The Best American Essays, 2005
Society of Midland Authors Poetry Prize, 2005
Pushcart Prize, 2005
Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, 2005
Midwest Booksellers Association Poetry Award. 2005
Sower Award, Lincoln Community Foundation, 2005
Jason Award, Children's Square, 2005
University of Nebraska Presidential Professorship 2005
Sower Award, Lincoln Community Foundation, 2005
Sower Award, Nebraska Committee on the Humanities, 2006
Sower Award, Nebraskaland Foundation, 2006
University of Nebraska Presidential Professorship 2006
Chosen to be on the three-person jury for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, 2006
Honorary Membership, Sigma Tau Delta, 2007
Distinguished Alumnus, Iowa State University, 2007
Alumni Achievement Award, University of Nebraska, 2007
Midwest Booksellers Association Poetry Award. 2007
University of Nebraska Presidential Professorship 2007
Honorary Doctorate, State University of New York at Binghamton, 2008
Midwest Booksellers Association Poetry Award. 2008
Word Sender Award, John G. Neihardt Foundation, 2008
Honorary Doctorate, Doane College, 2009
Pushcart Prize, 2009
Dedication of Ted Kooser Elementary School, 2009
Mildred Bennett Award, Nebraska Center for the Book, 2009
Hall Kenyon Award in American Poetry, 2010
Local Wonders; Seasons in the Bohemian Alps, chosen as theOne Book, One Nebraska title for 2011
Chosen to be on the three-person jury for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry
Teachers Choice Award, International Reading Association, 2011
Pushcart Prize, 2012
Honorary board of directors, The Poetry Center, Passaic, NJ, 2012
New York Times Best Illustrated Book, for House Held Up By Trees, 2012
Mark Twain Award from The Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature, 2013
House Held Up by Trees named a Best Children's Book of the Year for 2013 by the Children's Book Committee
House Held Up by Trees named (NCTE) Children's Literature Assembly's 2013 Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
Nebraska Book Award for children's books for House Held Up by Trees, 2013
Independent Publisher's Gold Medal Award for The Wheeling Year, 2015
Midwest Booksellers Choice Award in Poetry, 2015, for Splitting an Order
Finalist (one of three), High Plains Book Award in poetry, 2015, for Splitting an Order
Nebraska Book Award for The Wheeling Year, 2015
Distinguished Achievement in the Humanities 2016 South Dakota Humanities Commission
At Home, winner of The Comstock Writers Group Chapbook Award 2016
The Ted Kooser Center for Medical Humanities at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, 2019
Pushcart Prize, 2020
Children’s Choice Honor Book Award, 2020, for Mr. Posey’s New Glasses, Candlewick Press
Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award, 2023, for Marshmallow Clouds: Two Poets at Play Among Figures of Speech, a collaboration with Connie Wanek, Candlewick Press.

Contact

Home: 1820 Branched Oak Road, Garland, NE 68360 email: kr84428@windstream.net

Complete bibliographical information is available from Daniel Gillane, 203 Dunreath, Lafayette, LA 70506