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| Michael was born in Orange NJ in 1942. First read poetry in coffee houses in 1959, thousands of readings since, throughout the world (e.g. Hull University; the Great Hall at Cooper Union). First published in 1960, appearing regularly in hundreds of magazines since (e.g. Partisan Review; The World), and many anthologies (e.g. The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry; The Book of Irish-American Poetry). First book, What Withers (Doones Press 1970); twenty-seventh book, March 18,2003, (third edition Libellum/Charta 2006 with illustrations by Alex Katz). Attended University of Iowa Writers Workshop on the G. I. Bill, where in 1968 ran for sheriff of Johnson County, Iowa, on the Peace and Freedom ticket and came in second; awarded an MFA in poetry in 1969. Among many awards: The1972 92nd St. Y Poetry Center’s “Discovery Award” for The South Orange Sonnets (Some of Us Press); two National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Grants, 1974 and ’81 (the latter used in argument for closing down the NEA by rightwing politicians who denounced the poem “My Life” as “pornography” on the floor of congress); 1997 PEN Oakland “Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature” for Cant Be Wrong (Coffee House Press); 2000 American Book Award for It’s Not Nostalgia (Black Sparrow Press). Meanwhile, lived all over the USA, the longest periods in New York, D. C., and L. A., working various “day jobs”—from college teacher to night guard in a drug rehab hospital, book critic (e.g. The Washington Post; The Village Voice) to chauffer, actor in dozens of films (e.g. Basic Instinct; White Fang) and TV shows (e.g. artist witness on NYPD Blue, crusty cavalry Captain on Deadwood) to screenwriter/script doctor (e.g. wrote narration for Drugstore Cowboy/co-wrote Fogbound, “best feature film 2003” Thessalaski International Film Festival). Moved back to New Jersey in 1999. Still here.
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