X. J. Kennedy, born in 1929, received a B.Sc. from Seton Hall in 1950 and a MA from Columbia University in 1951. He spent four years in the Navy as an enlisted journalist and has taught English at numerous colleges and universities. Kennedy has published six collections of verse: the earliest is Nude Descending a Staircase for which he received the Lamont Award from The Academy of American Poets; the latest, The Lords of Misrule, was awarded the Poets’ Prize in 2004. Kennedy has also authored eighteen children's books and several textbooks on poetry and fiction. Other recognitions include the Los Angeles Book Award for Poetry, the Aiken-Taylor Award, and Guggenheim and National Arts Council fellowships. Kennedy was given the first Michael Braude Award for light verse by the American Academy & Institute of Arts & Letters.
