Langdon Hammer

Langdon Hammer is the Niel Gray, Jr. Professor of English at Yale University, where he has served since 1987. He holds a B.A. and Ph.D. in English from Yale. His research focuses on the history of poetry, literary biography, and poetics, with a particular emphasis on modern and contemporary poets like Hart Crane, James Merrill, and Elizabeth Bishop. Hammer has authored critical biographies, edited major poetic works for the Library of America, and served as poetry editor of The American Scholar. He has received prestigious fellowships and awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Lambda Literary Award. Hammer has also held leadership roles, including three terms as Chair of Yale’s English Department, and has mentored over 30 PhD students. His work bridges academic scholarship and public engagement, aiming to make poetry accessible to broader audiences.

Education:

• B.A., English, Yale University, summa cum laude
• Ph.D., English Language and Literature, Yale University

Research Interests: Poetry’s cultural role, literary biography vs. theory, archival scholarship, close reading, and poetics across historical periods. He explores how poets define their craft and how their lives intersect with their art.

Awards:

• Lambda Literary Award for James Merrill: Life and Art (2015)
• Guggenheim Fellowship (2003-04)
• Yale Graduate Student Mentor Award (2011)

His edited volumes include The Collected Poems of May Swenson and Hart Crane: Complete Poetry and Selected Letters. He collaborates on projects like A Whole World: Letters from James Merrill (2021). Teaching roles include seminars on lyric theory and modern poetry, with a focus on accessibility and interdisciplinary approaches.