Pleasant. He holds degrees in political science, Western European studies, and poetry. His first book of poems, Unrelated Individuals Forming a Group Waiting to Cross, published by Penguin in 2004, was a winner of the 2003 National Poetry Series. His chapbook, The Making of Collateral Beauty, both companion and descendant of Unrelated Individuals Forming a Group Waiting to Cross, was published in 2006 by Tupelo Press and was the winner of the 2004 Snowbound Chapbook Award. His poems have appeared in Blackbird, Denver Quarterly, Mid-American Review, Octopus Magazine, and other journals. He has been featured most recently in the poetry magazine elimae, and From the Fishouse, an audio archive of emerging poets. His forthcoming collection is entitled September 12. Contributor’s