This site is maintained by the Academy of American Poets, whose mission statement is "…to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry." Here you'll find a short bio of the author, followed by online versions of eight of his poems. If this isn't enough information for you, the page also contains links to other Charles Simic exhibits elsewhere on the Web.

The Cortland Review: Charles Simic
http://www.cortlandreview.com/issuefour/interview4.htm

In issue four of the online version of The Cortland Review, you'll be able to read an informative interview of Simic, where the famous poet talks about everything, from his early years to the initial "impulse" that began his writing career. An interesting look at a very witty writer.

Oak Park Tourist: Charles Simic
http://oprf.com/Simic/

The "Oak Park Tourist's" (Oak Park, Illinois) Webpage on Charles Simic does provide useful information about the author. Here you'll be able to read one of his short poems, "Against Winter," or read a brief biography of the famous writer. You click on one of four RealAudio links to hear the poet read his work, or make use of Simic's contact information, provided to you through a link with the University of New Hampshire.

Salon Magazine.com: Charles Simic
http://www.salonmag.com/audio/2000/10/05/simic/

Visit this site run by the online literary magazine, Salon.com, to hear Charles Simic read his wonderful poem, "We Were So Poor…". Downloading this RealMedia is a treat because it's easy, and it's a quick listen (26 seconds). The quickest way to familiarize yourself with Simic's poetry.

BIOGRAPHY
Charles Simic (b. 1938) was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1949, settled in Chicago, and attended the University of Chicago. He served briefly in the army before completing his B.A. at New York University. Since 1974 he has taught at the University of New Hampshire. His first book of poems, What the Grass Says, was published in 1967; Selected Poems: Nineteen Sixty-Three to Nineteen Eighty-Five appeared in 1985. In the many books written between those dates, and in the poems since published, Simic is continually drawn to the surreal and the strange, the dream image, the archetypal form. Besides work on his own poetry, he has devoted much time to translations of other Yugoslav poets, contained in Four Modern Yugoslav Poets (1970) and Horse Has Six Legs: Contemporary Serbian Poetry (1992). He has translated and coedited with Mark Strand Another Republic: 17 European and South American Writers (1976). The recipient of numerous awards, including a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and Pulitzer prize in Poetry for The World Doesn't End in 1990, he currently resides in New Hampshire.