Sleeping it Off in Rapid City

August Kleinzahler (born 1949) is an American poet known for his energetic, formally inventive verse blending urban life, jazz rhythms, surrealism, and modernist precision, as praised by Allen Ginsberg. Foundation. Notable works include The Strange Hours Travelers Keep (2004, Griffin International Poetry Prize), Sleeping It Off in Rapid City (2008, National Book Critics Circle Award), and A History of Western Music (2024); major awards encompass Guggenheim and Lannan Literary Awards, American Academy of Arts and Letters Literature Award, and poet laureate of Fort Lee, New Jersey. Read more →