Anne Waldman (born April 2, 1945) is an American poet, performer, teacher, and political activist. She is a central figure in the New York City avant-garde and a key member of the Outrider experimental poetry movement. Waldman's writing is often politically engaged, and her works explore themes of feminism, progressive politics, and Buddhism.
Waldman was born and raised in Manhattan. She attended the High School of Music & Art and received her B.A. from Bennington College in 1966. She studied poetry at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University, where she was a student and instructor for many years.
Waldman's first collection of poems, Fast Speaking Woman, was published in 1975 and earned her critical acclaim. Since then, she has published more than forty books of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. Her works include Marriage: A Sentence (2000), Trickster Feminism (2005), and Gossamurmur (2015). Waldman has also collaborated with numerous other authors and musicians, including Allen Ginsberg, Jackson MacLow, and Philip Glass.
Throughout her career, Waldman has been an outspoken advocate for social and political causes. She was a vocal supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement and served as a board member for the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church in New York City. In addition, she was an organizer of the Out of the Blue benefit concert for the victims of the September 11th attacks.
Waldman has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Shelley Memorial Award, and the 2018 Frost Medal. She has taught poetry and creative writing at institutions such as Columbia University, Princeton University, and Naropa University.
Waldman continues to write, perform, and teach today. She is widely considered one of the most influential and important figures in contemporary American poetry. Her work has been praised for its political engagement, feminist themes, and lyrical beauty.
