John Ashbery with Jarrett Earnest

Late for School, c. 1948. Collage, 12 1/2 × 8 inches.
"For half a century John Ashbery has remained a solid contender for the title of 'greatest living poet.' For much of that time he also wrote art criticism, first for ARTnews, and the Paris edition of the New York Herald-Tribune, New York and Newsweek. He is a central link between French and American ideas and aesthetics, publishing lyrical and authoritative translations of the French avant-garde including Stéphane Mallarmé, Arthur Rimbaud, Raymond Roussel, and Giorgio de Chirico. Last year he published the collection of poems Breezeway and his newest, Commotion of the Birds, will be out this fall. He met with Jarrett Earnest to discuss some aspects of his life and work. ..."
Brooklyn Rail