Jack Hirschman

born in 1933.  Lives in the North Beach district of San Francisco, where he is a member of the Union of Street Poets, a group that distributes leaflets of poems to people on the streets of the bay city.  He has also been instrumental in the formation of the Union of Left Writers of San Francisco.  His poems, which have been compared to those of Hart Crane and Dylan Thomas, often reflect the poet’s leftist political views and are noted for their novel treatment of language.  The many languages he has translated include Russian, French, German, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Albanian, Yiddish, Vietnamese, and Creole.  He remains dedicated to the power of poetry.  The Contemporary Poetry critic concluded, “He is a tireless presence at rallies, demonstrations, and benefits, and he remains one of the most galvanizing readers of poetry performing today.”