Larry (Laurence Joel) Eigner was born on August 7, 1927, in Lynn, Massachusetts. The date of Eigner’s birth places him the company of American poets who began their careers in the immediate post-World War II period. Other poets of this cohort born the same year as Eigner include Galway Kinnell, W.S. Merwin, and John Ashbery; poets born a few years before or after include Denise Levertov, James Merrill, A.R. Ammons, Robert Bly, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Creeley, and Adrienne Rich. The circumstances of Eigner’s birth, however, distinguish him from these poets in one important way. Due to a forceps injury to his skull during a protracted labor, Eigner was born with severe cerebral palsy. His speech, mobility, and coordination were all effected by his disability, and he spent the major…
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Citation: Hart, George. "Larry Eigner". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 October 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1403, accessed 23 November 2024.]
