World Literary Awards

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Jason Koo

ジェイソン・クー

Jason Koo

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
New York City
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
New York City (birth) → Cleveland (grew up) → Brooklyn (base of activity)

Career

Occupations
poet, editor, teacher, creative writing director
Active Years
2009-
Affiliations
Brooklyn Poets (founder / former executive director), Quinnipiac University (professor / director of creative writing), Lehman College (formerly taught / directed MA program)
Influenced By
Marcel Proust, Herman Melville, Cervantes, Don DeLillo, John Ashbery, Mark Strand? / Levis, Hart Crane, Wallace Stevens, Kenneth Koch, Byron (in Don Juan) / Whitman referenced, William Wordsworth, Frank Bidart, Lynda Hull

Education

Yale University
English
Degree: BA
Country: United States
BA in English
University of Houston (MFA program)
Creative Writing (MFA)
Degree: MFA
Country: United States
Studied under Edward Hirsch and others
University of Missouri-Columbia
English and Creative Writing
Degree: PhD
Country: United States
PhD in English and Creative Writing

Awards

Diode Editions Poetry Contest
2024
Work: No Rest
Organization: Diode Editions
Result: winner
De Novo Poetry Prize (selected)
2009
Work: Man on Extremely Small Island
Organization: C&R Press (selected by Denise Duhamel)
Result: selected/award
Cleveland State University Poetry Center — Open Book Poetry Competition (semi-finalist)
2017
Work: More Than Mere Light
Organization: Cleveland State University Poetry Center
Result: semi-finalist
Brooklyn Magazine — 100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture (ranking)
2016
Organization: Brooklyn Magazine
Result: ranked (21st)
Yes Poetry — Poet of the Month
2021
Organization: Yes Poetry
Result: honor
Connecticut Poetry Circuit Poet (selected)
2024
Organization: Quinnipiac University / Connecticut Poetry Circuit
Result: selected

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Man on Extremely Small Island

2009 poetry

Debut poetry collection exploring immigration, urban life, and personal memory.

immigrationurban lifememoryidentity

America's Favorite Poem

2014 poetry

A collection that reflects on American culture and everyday observations to illuminate the personal and social.

American culturethe everydayidentity

More Than Mere Light

2018 poetry

Poems that experiment with form and diction, weaving personal memory with cultural references.

memorycultural referenceformal experimentation

No Rest

2024 poetry

A recent collection published after winning the Diode Editions contest; contains poems about urban life, personal exhaustion, and the lack of rest.

urban lifefatiguerestcontemporary life

Bibliography

  • Man on Extremely Small Island (2009; reissued 2020)
  • America's Favorite Poem (2014; reissued 2020)
  • More Than Mere Light (2018)
  • No Rest (2024)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
contemporary poetryobservational and lyricalincludes formal experimentation
Recurring Motifs
urban landscapefamily and memorysports and cultural references (e.g., LeBron James)immigration and identity

Legacy

Founder of Brooklyn Poets who nurtured local poetry communities; through university teaching and direction has influenced emerging poets. Known for poetry addressing urban culture and immigrant experience.

In Popular Culture

  • Noted in Brooklyn cultural influence lists and active in the local literary scene

Quotes

  • Proust, Melville, Cervantes, DeLillo, etc. ... Ashbery, Levis, Crane, Stevens, Koch, Whitman, Byron (in Don Juan), Wordsworth, Bidart, Lynda Hull ... the list goes on.
    Source: Interview (e.g., Jet Fuel Review)

Trivia

  • Founded Brooklyn Poets on May 31, 2012 (Walt Whitman's birthday).
  • Poems have appeared in Poetry Northwest, Diode Poetry Journal, Jet Fuel Review, and others.
  • Several books were reissued by Brooklyn Arts Press in 2020.