Ron Offen
Encyclopedia
Ronald C. “Ron” Offen was an American poet, playwright, critic, editor, and theater producer. He received an A.A. from Wright College in Chicago and an M.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago
.
. He was also co-editor with Cuscaden of Odyssey: Explorations in Contemporary Poetry and the Arts (1958-59), which published the early work of Charles Bukowski
, LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), David Ray, and others. He was a reviewer and executive editor of Chicago Literary Times (1962-1965), poetry editor of December (circa 1970-72), and columnist (“Poetry Beat”) for the Chicago Daily News
(1974-75). From 1970-77 he was a book reviewer for the Chicago Sun-Times
, a drama critic for Chicago's weekly newspaper, Skyline, and worked in the Poets-in-the Schools program sponsored by the Illinois Arts Council
.
His drama, Fourplay, was produced in 1977 at the Barry Street Theater in Chicago, and his radio play, The Last Celebration, was aired on Chicago radio stations WFMT
-FM by National Radio Theater, WNIB
-FM, and WHPK-FM.
, 5AM, The Ledge
, Margie, Poetry
, Prairie Schooner, RATTLE
, Rhino, The Salmon (Ireland), Zyzzyva
, and numerous other journals. His fourth book of poems, God’s Haircut and Other Remembered Dreams, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize
. He was named a “Top Dog” in Chicago Poetry by chicagopoetry.com for his fifth book of poems, Off-Target. He received a first prize from the Academy of American Poets
, University of Chicago
, and First Prize For Poetry from the Chicago Poets and Writers Foundation. He was interviewed about his poetry by Studs Terkel
on WFMT
-FM and more recently by Judith Valente of National Public Radio on WBEZ-FM (Chicago).
In 1989 he founded Free Lunch
, which published such renowned poets as Billy Collins
, Stephen Dunn
, Stuart Dybek
, Donald Hall
, X.J. Kennedy, Lisel Mueller
, Robert Peters
,and David Wagoner
. In autumn 2009 after 42 issues Free Lunch
ceased publication. In spring 2010 Rhino granted him its inaugural Paladin Award for "extraordinary long-term contributions to the quality and progress of poetry in Illinois."
Offen lived in Glenview, Illinois with his third wife, Beverly.
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Biography
Offen lived most of his life in Chicago and worked as an insurance investigator, editor, freelance writer, and theater producer. With R. R. Cuscaden he was the co-editor of Mainstream: A Quarterly Journal of Poetry (1957), one of the first publishers of Richard BrautiganRichard Brautigan
Richard Gary Brautigan was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. His work often employs black comedy, parody, and satire. He is best known for his 1967 novel Trout Fishing in America.- Early life :...
. He was also co-editor with Cuscaden of Odyssey: Explorations in Contemporary Poetry and the Arts (1958-59), which published the early work of Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
, LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), David Ray, and others. He was a reviewer and executive editor of Chicago Literary Times (1962-1965), poetry editor of December (circa 1970-72), and columnist (“Poetry Beat”) for the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
(1974-75). From 1970-77 he was a book reviewer for the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, a drama critic for Chicago's weekly newspaper, Skyline, and worked in the Poets-in-the Schools program sponsored by the Illinois Arts Council
Illinois Arts Council
The Illinois Arts Council is a government agency of the state of Illinois formed to encourage development of the arts throughout Illinois. Founded in 1965 by the Illinois General Assembly, the Illinois Arts Council provides financial and technical assistance to artists, arts organizations, and...
.
Theatre
In the 1970s he co-authored Dillinger: Dead or Alive? with Jay Robert Nash and wrote Cagney and Brando. In 1975 Offen and his second wife, Rosine (1930-2000), an Actors’ Equity actress and director, formed the theater company, The Peripatetic Task Force. He was the executive producer of this company, which produced avant-garde and original plays. He was also instrumental in creating Gangway Playhouse in Chicago, a summer outdoor free children’s theater. The company’s production of Jack Stokes’s Wiley and The Hairy Man at Gangway Playhouse won a special Joseph Jefferson Award in 1977 for children’s theater.His drama, Fourplay, was produced in 1977 at the Barry Street Theater in Chicago, and his radio play, The Last Celebration, was aired on Chicago radio stations WFMT
WFMT
WFMT is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, featuring a format of fine arts, classical music programming, and shows exploring such genres as folk and jazz). The station is managed by Window To The World Communications, Inc., owner of WTTW, one of Chicago's two Public Broadcasting Service ...
-FM by National Radio Theater, WNIB
WNIB
WNIB, 97.1 FM , was a classical music radio station that was begun in Chicago, Illinois on July 9, 1955. The frequency was assigned to William C. Florian who began operations and retained ownership until its sale in 2001. The call letters stood for Northern Illinois Broadcasting...
-FM, and WHPK-FM.
Poetry
Offen’s poetry appeared in Another Chicago Magazine, EpochEpoch (magazine)
Epoch is a three-times-a-year American literary magazine founded in 1947 and published by Cornell University. The widely respected magazine has published well-known authors and award-winning work including stories reprinted in The Best American Short Stories series and poems later included in The...
, 5AM, The Ledge
The Ledge
"The Ledge" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the July 1976 issue of Penthouse, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift.-Plot summary:...
, Margie, Poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
, Prairie Schooner, RATTLE
RATTLE
RATTLE is an award-winning poetry magazine based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1994, the magazine is published by the Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation. Established writers such as Philip Levine, Jane Hirshfield, Billy Collins, Sharon Olds, Gregory Orr, and others have appeared in RATTLE,...
, Rhino, The Salmon (Ireland), Zyzzyva
Zyzzyva
Zyzzyva is a genus of tropical American weevil often found in association with palms. It is a snouted beetle. "Zyzzyva" is the last word in many English-language dictionaries....
, and numerous other journals. His fourth book of poems, God’s Haircut and Other Remembered Dreams, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
. He was named a “Top Dog” in Chicago Poetry by chicagopoetry.com for his fifth book of poems, Off-Target. He received a first prize from the Academy of American Poets
Academy of American Poets
The Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization dedicated to the art of poetry. The Academy was incorporated as a "membership corporation" in New York State in 1934...
, University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and First Prize For Poetry from the Chicago Poets and Writers Foundation. He was interviewed about his poetry by Studs Terkel
Studs Terkel
Louis "Studs" Terkel was an American author, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1985 for The Good War, and is best remembered for his oral histories of common Americans, and for hosting a long-running radio show in Chicago.-Early...
on WFMT
WFMT
WFMT is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, featuring a format of fine arts, classical music programming, and shows exploring such genres as folk and jazz). The station is managed by Window To The World Communications, Inc., owner of WTTW, one of Chicago's two Public Broadcasting Service ...
-FM and more recently by Judith Valente of National Public Radio on WBEZ-FM (Chicago).
In 1989 he founded Free Lunch
Free lunch
The phrase free lunch, in U.S. literature from about 1870 to 1920, refers to a tradition once common in saloons in many places in the United States. These establishments included a "free" lunch, varying from rudimentary to quite elaborate, with the purchase of at least one drink. These free lunches...
, which published such renowned poets as Billy Collins
Billy Collins
Billy Collins is an American poet, appointed as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003. He is a Distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York and is the Senior Distinguished Fellow of the Winter Park Institute, Florida...
, Stephen Dunn
Stephen Dunn
Stephen Dunn is an American poet. Dunn has written fifteen collections of poetry. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his 2001 collection, Different Hours and has received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Dunn completed his B.A. in English at...
, Stuart Dybek
Stuart Dybek
-Personal life:Dybek was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Chicago's Little Village and Pilsen neighborhoods in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dybek graduated from St. Rita of Cascia High School in 1959...
, Donald Hall
Donald Hall
Donald Hall is an American poet. He was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2006.-Personal life:...
, X.J. Kennedy, Lisel Mueller
Lisel Mueller
Lisel Mueller is an American poet.She was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1924 and immigrated to America at the age of 15. Her father, Fritz Neumann, was a professor at Evansville College. Her mother died in 1953. "Though my family landed in the Midwest, we lived in urban or suburban environments,"...
, Robert Peters
Robert Peters
Robert Louis Peters is a poet, critic, scholar, playwright, editor, and actor born in an impoverished rural area of northern Wisconsin in 1924. He holds a Ph.D in Victorian literature. His poetry career began in 1967 when his young son Richard died unexpectedly of spinal meningitis...
,and David Wagoner
David Wagoner
David Russell Wagoner is an American poet who has written many poetry collections and ten novels. Two of his books have been nominated for National Book Awards....
. In autumn 2009 after 42 issues Free Lunch
Free lunch
The phrase free lunch, in U.S. literature from about 1870 to 1920, refers to a tradition once common in saloons in many places in the United States. These establishments included a "free" lunch, varying from rudimentary to quite elaborate, with the purchase of at least one drink. These free lunches...
ceased publication. In spring 2010 Rhino granted him its inaugural Paladin Award for "extraordinary long-term contributions to the quality and progress of poetry in Illinois."
Offen lived in Glenview, Illinois with his third wife, Beverly.
External links
- University of Chicago Library Guide to the Ron Offen Papers 1944-2007
- Review of Work on ChicagoPoetry.com
- http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=10666
- http://www.poetsfreelunch.org/
- Obituary published in Chicago Sun-Times on August 11, 2010
- Obituary published in Chicago Tribune on August 19, 2010