Henri Cole
Henri Cole (born May 9, 1956) is an American poet, who has published many collections of poetry and a memoir. His books have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Arabic.
Henri Cole
Rogerxxx · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 9 May 1956
- Birthplace
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Occupation
- Poet
- Education
- College of William and Mary (BA) University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (MA) Columbia University (MFA)
- Nationality
- United States
- Honours
- Guggenheim Fellowship · Rome Prize · Lambda Literary Award · Berlin Prize
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Henri Cole (born May 9, 1956) is an American poet, who has published many collections of poetry and a memoir. His books have been translated into French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Arabic.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
Henri Cole (born 1956) is a poet, of American nationality. The poet was born in Fukuoka.
Henri Cole was educated at College of William & Mary. The poet worked for Brandeis University, Harvard University and Smith College and is a member of American Academy of Arts and Letters and Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Languages used include English. Honours include Berlin Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship and Lambda Literary Award, among others.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Henri Cole. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q5715387 · wikipedia · Henri Cole
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Born — 9 May 1956 • Birthplace — Fukuoka, Japan • Occupation — Poet • Education — College of William and Mary (BA) University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (MA) Columbia University (MFA)
Biography
Biography
Henri Cole was born in Fukuoka, Japan, to an American father and French-Armenian mother, and raised in Virginia, United States. His father, a North Carolinian, enlisted in the service after graduating from high school and, while stationed in Marseille, met Cole's mother, who worked at the PX. Together they lived in Japan, Germany, Illinois, California, Nevada, Missouri and Virginia, where Cole attended public schools and the College of William and Mary. He has published twelve collections of poetry in English. From 1982 until 1988 he was executive director of The Academy of American Poets. Since that time he has held many teaching positions and been artist-in-residence at various institutions, including Brandeis University, Columbia University, Davidson College, Harvard University, Ohio State University, Reed College, Smith College, The College of William and Mary, and Yale University. He has collaborated with the visual artists Jenny Holzer and Kiki Smith. And from 2010 to 2014, he was poetry editor of The New Republic. Cole currently teaches at Claremont McKenna College.
Personal life
Personal life
Cole is openly gay, though in his early work he turned to "nature as a mask for writing about private feelings." He came out as he "felt a need to speak as a gay man, since until recently we were not encouraged by society to love one another, marry, and have children. So if I have an ethics, it is simply to be true, but never at the expense of original language."
Books of poetry
Books of poetry
• 2025: The Other Love, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 2023: Gravity and Center (Selected Sonnets, 1994-2022), New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 2023: Blizzard (German translation by Henning Ahrens), Munich: Hanser Verlag, Edition Lyrik Kabinett • 2021: Der sichtbare Mensch, Ausgewählte Gedicht (German translation by Hans Raimund), Vienna: Löcker • 2020: Blizzard, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 2015: Nothing to Declare, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 2015: Le Merle, Le Loup suivi de Toucher (French translation by Claire Malroux), Paris: Le bruit du temps • 2011: Touch, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 2011: Terre Médiane (French translation by Claire Malroux), Paris: Le bruit du temps • 2010: Mirlo y Lobo (Spanish translation by Eduardo López Truco), Cantabria: Quálea Editorial • 2010: Autoritratto con Gatti (Italian translation by Massimo Bacigalupo), Parma: Guanda Editore • 2010: Pierce the Skin (Selected Poems, 1982-2007), New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 2008: La Apariencia de la Cosas (Spanish translation by Eduardo López Truco), Cantabria: Quálea Editorial • 2007: Blackbird and Wolf, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 2005: Vingt-Deux Poèmes (French translation by Claire Malroux), Paris: Yvon Lambert • 2003: Middle Earth, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 1998: The Visible Man, New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux • 1995: The Look of Things • 1989: The Zoo Wheel of Knowledge • 1986: The Marble Queen
Books of prose
Books of prose
• 2020: باريس الأورفيّة: السّياحة الأدبية في باريس (Orphic Paris, Arabic translation by Amani Lazar), United Arab Emirates: Rewayat Books • 2018: Orphic Paris, New York, New York Review Books • 2018: Paris-Orphée (French translation by Claire Malroux), Paris: Le bruit du temps
Awards and honors
• 2026 — National Book Critics Circle Award, Finalist in Poetry for The Other Love • 2021 — James Merrill House, Writer-in-Residence • 2017 — American Academy of Arts and Letters, Elected Member • 2016 — American Academy of Arts and Letters, Award of Merit Medal in Poetry • 2014 — Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, Fellow • 2012 — The Thom Gunn Award for Poetry for Touch, Publishing Triangle • 2012 — The Jackson Poetry Prize, Poets & Writers • 2011 — Harvard University Phi Beta Kappa poet • 2011 — Los Angeles Times Book Award, Finalist in Poetry for Pierce the Skin (Selected Poems 1982-2007) • 2010 — American Academy of Arts & Sciences, elected member • 2009 — Sara Teasdale Award in Poetry, Wellesley College • 2009 — National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship • 2008 — Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize for Blackbird and Wolf, Academy of American Poets • 2008 — Ambassador Book Award in Poetry for Blackbird and Wolf, English-Speaking Union of the United States • 2008 — Massachusetts Book Award in Poetry for Blackbird and Wolf • 2008 — Lambda Literary Award in Poetry for Blackbird and Wolf • 2007 — United States Artists USA Hildreth/Williams Fellow, Literature • 2004 — Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for Middle Earth • 2004 — John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship • 2004 — Award in Literature, American Academy of Arts and Letters • 2004 — Pulitzer Prize, Finalist in Poetry for Middle Earth • 2004 — Los Angeles Times Book Award, Finalist in Poetry for Middle Earth • 2004 — Massachusetts Book Award in Poetry for Middle Earth • 2001 — Japan-United States Friendship Commission, Creative Artist Fellowship • 2000 — Berlin Prize, American Academy in Berlin • 1995 — Rome Prize in Literature, American Academy of Arts and Letters • 1993 — National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship • 1989 — Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship • 1989 — Camargo Foundation Fellowship • 1985 — Ingram Merrill Foundation Award (also 1990)
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Lydon, Christopher. Out of Yearning, Order: Henri Cole's poetry. The Huffington Post. December 2009.
- 2.About Henri Cole | Academy of American Poets.
- 3.Art21. Jenny Holzer collaborations. art21.org.
- 4.Blizzard. Macmillan.
- 5.Nothing to Declare. Macmillan.
- 6.Le Merle, Le Loup. Le bruit du temps.
- 7.Touch. Macmillan.
- 8.Terre Mediane. Le bruit du temps.
- 9.Mirlo y Lobo. Culturamas. 18 December 2010.
- 10.Autoitratto con Gatti. Guanda Editore.
- 11.Pierce the Skin. Macmillan.
- 12.La Apariencia de la Cosas. Casa del Libro. 6 April 2009.
- 13.Blackbird and Wolf. Macmillan.
- 14.Les presses du reel. Vingt-Deux Poems. lesoressesdureel.com.
- 15.Middle Earth. Macmillan.
- 16.The Visible Man. Macmillan.
- 17.Cole, Henri. The Look of Things. A.A. Knopf. 1995. 067943352X.
- 18.Good Reads. The Zoo Wheel of Knowledge. goodreads.com. 1989.
- 19.Good Reads. The Marble Queen. goodreads.com. 1986.
- 20.Orphic Paris.
- 21.Orphic Paris. New York Review Books. 3 April 2018.
- 22.Paris-Orphée. Le bruit du temps.
- 23.American Academy of Arts and Letters.
- 24.Fellow. Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
- 25."Publishing Triangle Winners Unveiled", GalleyCat, 04/20/2012.
- 26.Jackson Poetry Prize. Poets & Writers. 12 February 2008.
- 27.Phi Beta Kappa Poet. Harvard Magazine. 24 May 2011.
- 28.LA Times Book Award. Los Angeles Times.
- 29.American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Academy of Arts and Sciences. amacad.org.
- 30.Academy of American Poets. Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. poets.org.
- 31.Ambassador Book Award
- 32.Massachusetts Center for the Book. Massachusetts Book Award. yumpu.com.
- 33.Lambda Literary Awards. Lambda Literary Award. lambdaliterary.org. 30 April 2007.
- 34.United States Artists. United States Artists Fellowship. unitedstatesartists.org.
- 35.Hennessy, Christopher. An Interview by Christopher Hennessy. American Poetry Review. May 2005.
- 36.John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Guggenheim Fellowship. gf.org.
- 37.American Academy of Arts and Letters. Award in Literature. artsandletters.org.
- 38.Pulitzer. pulitzer.org.
- 39.LA Times Book Award. Los Angeles Times.
- 40.Boston Public Library. Massachusetts Book Award. bpl.org.
- 41.Japan-United States Friendship Commission. Japan Fellowship. jusfc.gov.
- 42.American Academy in Berlin. Berlin Prize. americanacademy.de.
- 43.Rome Prize. The New York Times. 22 April 1995.
- 44.National Endowment for the Arts. NEA Fellowship. arts.gov.
- 45.Choate, Hall & Stewart. Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship. amylowell.org.
- 46.Camargo Foundation. Camargo Foundation directory.
- 47.Ingram Merrill Foundation
- 48.Weiss, Sasha. Henri Cole, The Art of Poetry No. 98. The Paris Review. Summer 2014. 209. 2014. 0031-2037.
- 49.Weiss, Interviewed by Sasha. The Art of Poetry No. 98. Summer 2014. 209. 2014. 0031-2037.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,529 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Henri Carton de WiartAuthor
- Henri CazalisAuthor
- Henri ChabrolAuthor
- Henri ChantavoineAuthor
- Henri CouletteAuthor
- Henri d'Arbois de JubainvilleAuthor
- Henri d'Orléans, Duke of AumaleAuthor
- Henri de BornierAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Henri Cole?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.