Edward Hirsch

Passion and Commitment Lead UH Professor to Success

There aren’t very many ways of putting it, other than to simply say that Edward Hirsch (at left in photo) is one of America’s most respected and distinguished modern-day poets. His work has appeared in such volumes as The Best of the Best American Poetry, The World’s Best Poetry, and the Norton Anthology of Jewish American Literature. He has written seven books of poetry and prose including his most recent work, How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry. And if anyone can make you all in love with the art, he can. Indeed, Hirsch stands as one of the most revered poets of his generation.

This certainly would be enough reason to place him among the elite faculty members showcased in UH’s unique marketing campaign, being unveiled in February, but it wasn’t the only reason, perhaps not even the most important.

“Poetry is a calling,” Hirsch described. “I believe it is the most intense, most emotionally extreme form of literature that satisfies my inner emotional needs.”

This commitment to his craft, this devotion to his calling, has led Hirsch, the John and Rebecca Moores Scholar in English, to not only teach and attempt to inspire in his students even a fraction of the passion he holds, but also to give back to the art form itself.

“My commitment to poetry is pretty fierce. I decided that I wanted to give my life to poetry and I would give everything to make poetry possible,” he declared when he received the 1998 MacArthur Fellowship, an annual, unrestricted, grant given to individuals for their accomplishments in a range of fields.

Though he admits that his decision to be a poet is a bit inexplicable, he remembers clearly when that decision was made and under what circumstances.

“It began in high school when I was 17,” explained Hirsch. “I began writing out of pure emotion…because I needed to.”

What does the future hold for one of UH’s most committed scholars and educators?

“In the last few years I’ve tried to bring teaching and critical writing closer together. People are seeking something in poetry but don’t know how to find it,” said Hirsh. “I am an advocate for poetry. Reading seems so endangered in our culture so I feel a personal responsibility to share my experience.”

Thankfully for all of us, he does.