Awards

Titled Professor (2022)

Ruth Lilly Chair Poet-in-Residence

Titled Professor (2016)

Ruth Lilly Professor, Poet-in-Residence

Guggenheim Fellow (2013)

About Ross Gay

Poet Ross Gay joined the Creative Writing faculty at Indiana University's College of Arts and Sciences in 2007. He is the author of "Against Which", "Bringing the Shovel Down", "Be Holding", "Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude", and "The Book of Delights." His poems have been published in numerous magazines and journals, in addition to being widely anthologized. Ross is an editor for the chapbook press Q Avenue, and has happily shepherded many beautiful poets' work into print. His Artists' Books, in collaboration with Kimberly Thomas, are The Halo, BRN2HNT, and The Bullet.

Ross is very involved in the Bloomington community as a board member of the Bloomington Community Orchard in addition to his work with some of the other wonderful projects here in town. In addition to his IU appointment, Gay also teaches in the low-residency program at New England College. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Gay grew up outside of Philadelphia. He is a Cave Canem fellow and has been a Bread Loaf Tuition Scholar. In addition to holding a doctorate in American Literature from Temple University, he is a basketball coach, an occasional demolition man, and a painter.