LEWIS WARSH

WARSH--Lewis. On November 15, 2020. A prolific writer of poetry, fiction, and autobiography, renowned editor and publisher, visual artist, and beloved professor, Warsh was a principal member of the second generation of the New York School of poets and author of over 30 books. Born to Harry and Ray Warsh in Bronx, NY, he attended City College, receiving a BA and MA in English. In the 1960s he became a central figure in writing communities in the California Bay Area and New York's Lower East Side. He co-founded Angel Hair magazine and imprint with poet Anne Waldman in 1966. In 1975, he moved to New England with poet Bernadette Mayer, where they collaborated on United Artists magazine, published and wrote books, and had three children. He began teaching in 1985, most notably at Long Island University (Brooklyn) where he became professor of writing and literature in 2001 and the founding director of the MFA in Creative Writing in 2007. In 2001 he married playwright/director Katt Lissard. He is survived by his wife, children Marie (James Walsh), Sophia, Max (Alyssa Gorelick), granddaughters Zola and Veera, sister Susan, nieces Rose Bevans (Seth Feinberg) and Joanna Dragich (Louisa Wang), and countless friends, collaborators, and students.