Jack Collom
Photo courtesy: poetryfoundation.org
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Jack passed away July 2, 2017 - we will miss his inspiration, support, playfulness, encouragement, and his way with words...
Word By Word Journeys is forever grateful to have had Jack Collom’s participation as a poetry experimentalist and mentor. Jack led the morning session of each Poetry Expansion Lab held in Boulder and was an occasional participant at weekday circles. His exercises were taken from Poetry Everywhere and his many years of experience in inspiring the writing of poetry by people of all ages. In addition to working with us he has led workshops at Tell Your Story at CU, Casey Middle School, University Hill Elementary, Horizons K-8, and Boulder High School. Emily, Kathryn and Virginia were privileged to have his guidance and training as they developed their teaching and writing skills. They are grateful to have experienced Jack's infectious enthusiasm, clever inspiration, and delighted support. Without Jack there would be no Poetry Expansion Labs! |
BIO
Jack Collom was born in Chicago in 1931. Childhood full of woods and birds and books, small-town Illinois. Moved to Colorado 1947, graduated from Fraser HS (Class of 4). Attended Forestry School CSU, graduated 1952. USAF 4 years, began writing poetry “on the shores of Tripoli.” Back Stateside, worked for 20 years in factories, writing poetry at night. Began life of teaching in the mid-70s: has worked as Poet-in-the-schools a lot for over 35 years. Has taught, as an adjunct (now Adjunct Professor) at Naropa University of 23 years. Has taught 5 courses at University of Colorado and several at other colleges.
Jack has had 24 books of poetry (including chapbooks) published. He’s been awarded two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in Poetry, plus many other grants for magazine & book production and especially work with children.
He is regarded as a leader on a national scale in the field of writings by children. His books on leading children into creating excellent writings are: Poetry Everywhere, 1994 (Second Edition 2006) (with Sheryl Noethe), Moving Windows, 1986, A Slow Flash of Light, 1998, all published by Teachers & Writers Collaborative, New York.
In 2009, Jack spent three weeks in Milwaukee, under the aegis of Woodland Pattern Cultural Center, working with elders and with school children to get writing groups going. He also gave readings in New York and Colorado, as well as Lewiston, Maine, where he taught and read and workshopped at Bates College. The year before, he traveled to Brussels, Belgium, where he’d been invited to be plenary speaker at the “Poetic Ecologies” Conference, University of Brussels. He continues to write experimental and nature poetry abundantly. ~ Jack Collom
July, 2017 --- he becomes the green in-visible wind... Perhaps, he knows even more now about poetry everywhere.
copyright 2011, 2017
Jack Collom was born in Chicago in 1931. Childhood full of woods and birds and books, small-town Illinois. Moved to Colorado 1947, graduated from Fraser HS (Class of 4). Attended Forestry School CSU, graduated 1952. USAF 4 years, began writing poetry “on the shores of Tripoli.” Back Stateside, worked for 20 years in factories, writing poetry at night. Began life of teaching in the mid-70s: has worked as Poet-in-the-schools a lot for over 35 years. Has taught, as an adjunct (now Adjunct Professor) at Naropa University of 23 years. Has taught 5 courses at University of Colorado and several at other colleges.
Jack has had 24 books of poetry (including chapbooks) published. He’s been awarded two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in Poetry, plus many other grants for magazine & book production and especially work with children.
He is regarded as a leader on a national scale in the field of writings by children. His books on leading children into creating excellent writings are: Poetry Everywhere, 1994 (Second Edition 2006) (with Sheryl Noethe), Moving Windows, 1986, A Slow Flash of Light, 1998, all published by Teachers & Writers Collaborative, New York.
In 2009, Jack spent three weeks in Milwaukee, under the aegis of Woodland Pattern Cultural Center, working with elders and with school children to get writing groups going. He also gave readings in New York and Colorado, as well as Lewiston, Maine, where he taught and read and workshopped at Bates College. The year before, he traveled to Brussels, Belgium, where he’d been invited to be plenary speaker at the “Poetic Ecologies” Conference, University of Brussels. He continues to write experimental and nature poetry abundantly. ~ Jack Collom
July, 2017 --- he becomes the green in-visible wind... Perhaps, he knows even more now about poetry everywhere.
copyright 2011, 2017
