Career
Poetry
Barr is known for lyric and long-form poems. [8] He has published ten poetry collections [1] and his poems have appeared in anthologies, periodicals, and magazines. His first book, War Zone, was published in 1989. [9] In 1997, he released The Hundred Fathom Curve, a collection of poetry that The New York Times called “deliciously thick with language and facts.” [10]
His book The Boxer of Quirinal was longlisted for the 2024 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection. [11]
Leadership in poetry organizations
Barr served as the first president of the Poetry Foundation from 2004 to 2013. During his tenure, he oversaw the construction and opening of a permanent home for the Poetry Foundation and its flagship magazine, Poetry. [12] The 22,000 square-foot building is one of the only facilities in the United States dedicated to poetry [13] and contains more than 30,000 volumes of poetry, free and open to the public. [14]
As president of the Poetry Foundation, Barr also tripled the circulation of Poetry magazine, launched an award-winning website, [15] and founded Poetry Out Loud, [16] one of the country’s most prominent arts education programs. [17]
Barr was the president of the Poetry Society of America for 15 years. He also held leadership roles at Yaddo artists' colony and served as a Trustee for 16 years at Bennington College, including 12 years as Board Chair.
Business and finance
Barr is retired from a successful 30-year career on Wall Street. He was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and founded three startups, including the United States' first natural gas marketing company. [18] He also advised on many mergers in the consolidation of the electric and gas utility industries.