Barry Spacks

Who was Barry Spacks?

Barry Spacks, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a professor and prize-winning poet and novelist. He taught writing and literature at MIT from 1960 to 1981, then taught in the English Department and the College of Creative Studies at University of California, Santa Barbara for 32 years. He was poet laureate of the City of Santa Barbara from 2005 to 2007.

A recipient of the St. Botolph’s Arts Award, Spacks published nine poetry collections, the most extensive being Spacks Street: New and Selected Poems, which won the Commonwealth Club of California's Poetry Medal. He was also an accomplished librettist, singer-songwriter, artist and actor.

Writing about his work, a colleague said: "What an ear he had! What psychological insight! What red-bloodedness! What tonal range! What holy tomfoolery!"