Sparrow is a poet who has been published in The New Yorker, The Quarterly, and The New York Times. He has also produced several books of poetry with a number of poetry organizations, including the St. Mark's Poetry Project. He served as editor for the literary journal Big Fish. Formerly working and living in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Sparrow is also an activist. He founded the One Size Fits All Movement and the East Village Militia.