1 9 8 2 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Robert ▁K ip n iss ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁in ▁Brook lyn , ▁New ▁York , ▁to ▁S ime on ▁and ▁St ella ▁K ip n iss , ▁both ▁of ▁whom ▁worked ▁in ▁Manh attan . ▁His ▁father , ▁a ▁Sunday ▁painter , ▁was ▁employed ▁for ▁thirty - five ▁years ▁by ▁S ears , ▁Ro eb uck ▁and ▁Company ▁as ▁a ▁layout ▁director ▁design ing ▁catalog ue ▁pages . ▁K ip n iss ' s ▁mother , ▁n ée ▁Schw art z , ▁drew ▁fashion ▁illustr ations ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁for ▁newspaper ▁advert is ements ▁run ▁by ▁G im bel ' s ▁and ▁other ▁department ▁stores . ▁K ip n iss ' s ▁only ▁sib ling , ▁a ▁sister , ▁Betty ▁Ann , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁The ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁La ure l ton , ▁Long ▁Island , ▁that ▁year ▁and ▁to ▁Forest ▁Hills , ▁Queens , ▁New ▁York , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁At ▁age ▁six teen , ▁K ip n iss ▁attended ▁New ▁York ' s ▁Arts ▁Stud ents ▁League ▁on ▁S atur days . ▁He ▁began ▁college ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁att ending ▁W itten berg ▁College ▁in ▁Spring field , ▁Ohio , ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁before ▁transfer ring ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Iowa , ▁Iowa ▁City , ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁He ▁began ▁writing ▁poetry ▁in ▁ 1 9 4