His poetry is set in surreal, bizarre landscapes, and he deals with themes of boredom, confusion, terror, and emptiness. Charles Simic was born in Yugoslavia and emigrated to the United States at 16. He received his B.A. from New York University, and has taught at California State College and the University of New Hampshire. The Tate papers consist almost entirely of Tate's letters to Charles Simic. These letters provide an interesting insight into Tate's writing and his ideas on contemporary poetry, and many include Tate's opinions on and suggestions for Simic's poetry.
Some letters also contain discussion of other contemporary poets.