JackHirschman
Biography
Jack Hirschman (1933, New York, USA – 2021, San Francisco, USA) was an American poet, translator, and activist whose work bridged literature and social justice. Born in New York City and raised in the Bronx, he developed a love for language early on. He pursued literature academically, earning a bachelor’s degree from City College of New York and later completing his graduate studies in comparative literature at Indiana University. Early in his career, Hirschman worked as a copyeditor for the Associated Press. At the age of 19, he famously received encouragement from Ernest Hemingway, who told him he wrote better than Hemingway had at the same age. The letter gained wide attention after Hemingway's death. Hirschman went on to teach at Dartmouth College and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where one of his students was Jim Morrison, future frontman of The Doors. His anti-war views during the Vietnam era, particularly his encouragement for students to resist the draft, led to his dismissal from UCLA. In the early 1970s, Hirschman moved to San Francisco, settling in the North Beach neighborhood, where he became a prominent figure in the city’s literary and activist communities. He frequently performed at local readings and maintained strong ties with underrepresented groups, especially the homeless, immigrants, and working-class individuals. His poetry often reflected his Marxist ideals and passion for equity. Over the course of his life, Hirschman published more than 100 books of poetry, essays, and translations. His work included titles like Lyripol and Endless Threshold. A committed polyglot, he translated poets from various countries, expanding the reach of international literature to English-speaking audiences. In 2006, Hirschman was named San Francisco’s Poet Laureate, a role in which he championed the power of poetry to foster dialogue, cultural exchange, and social change. He passed away in San Francisco in 2021. Jack Hirschman remains remembered as a passionate advocate for justice whose literary contributions and activism left a lasting imprint on American poetry and cultural life.
