Richard Siken

Richard Siken (born February 15, 1967) is an American poet, painter, and filmmaker. He is the author of the collection "Crush" (Yale University Press, 2005), which won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition in 2004. His second book of poems, "War of the Foxes", was released from Copper Canyon Press in 2015.
Early life and education.
Siken was born in New York City. He studied at and received a B.A. in psychology and later a Master of Fine Arts in poetry from the University of Arizona.
Career.
In 2001, Siken co-founded Spork Press, where he continues to work as an editor.
Siken received a Literature Fellowship in Poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts, and his book "Crush" was awarded the Lambda Literary Award for "Gay Men's Poetry" in 2005, and the Thom Gunn Award from Publishing Triangle. The 1991 death of his boyfriend influenced his writing of the book.
Siken's most recent book, "War of the Foxes", was published in 2015 by Copper Canyon Press, was a recipient of two residencies with the Lannan Residency Program, and a Lannan Literary Selection.
Siken currently lives in Tucson, Arizona. On March 19, 2019, Siken reported on his Facebook that he had recently suffered a stroke.
Awards.
"Crush" won the 2004 Yale Series of Younger Poets prize, selected by Louise Glück. It was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Thom Gunn Award.
Siken is also the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, two Arizona Commission on the Arts grants, and a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.