Kenneth Koch

Kenneth Koch was an influential American poet, playwright, and professor, best known as a founding member of the New York School of poetry alongside John Ashbery and Frank O'Hara. His work is characterized by surrealism, satire, irony, and a playful use of language that refused to relinquish lightness or humor. Koch taught at Columbia University for nearly 50 years and published numerous collections of poetry, avant-garde plays, and books on teaching poetry to children and seniors.