Gregory Orr

Gregory Orr (1947- ) grew up in the rural Hudson Valley. At the age of twelve, he was responsible for the death of a younger brother in a hunting accident, an event that powerfully influenced his ideas about trauma, silence and poetry. His mother died suddenly a few years later. These and other events propelled him toward a writing life.  He got his MFA from Columbia University and taught for many years at the University of Virginia. He has published many volumes of poetry.

Squander it all!

Hold nothing back.

The heart’s a deep well.

And when it’s empty,

It will fill again.

— Gregory Orr