Coleman Barks
Coleman Barks (born 1937) is an American poet and world-renowned author of versions of Rumi poetry and other mystic poets of Persia.
Barks does not read Persian, but bases his work entirely on other English translations of Rumi, including translations by John Moyne. In addition, while the original Persian poetry of Rumi is heavily rhymed and metered, Barks has used primarily free verse. This has led some to criticize Barks' works as essentially original creations, while others laud his efforts at providing the essence of Rumi's poetry in an accessible format.
Barks is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended the University of North Carolina and the University of California, Berkley. Barks taught literature at the University of Georgia for three decades. He currently lives in Athens, Georgia, where he translates Rumi and composes poetry of his own.
Barks makes frequent international appearances and is well-known throughout the Middle East. Barks's work has contributed to an extremely strong following of Rumi in the English-speaking world. Due to his versions of Rumi’s poetry, it is said that the universal beliefs of Sufism have crossed many cultural boundaries over the past few decades.
Coleman Barks received an honorary doctorate from Tehran University in 2006.
(edited from Wikipedia )
A list of Coleman Bark’s published books are found below, but is not considered to be inclusive. For information on his entire library of books, and where to purchase them, please visit www.ColemanBarks.com
“A year with Rumi,” Harper, San Francisco, 2006
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“Open Secret,” Paperback, Threshold / Shambhala, 1986
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“Rumi: The Book of Love,” Harper, San Francisco, 2003
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“The Illuminated Prayer: Five-Times Prayer of the Sufis as revealed by Rumi and Bawa Muhaiyaddeen,” Ballantine, 2000
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“Birdsong,” Maypop, 1993
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“Say I Am You,” Maypop, 1994
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“The Essential Rumi, Expanded Edition,” Harper, San Francisco, 2004
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“Tentmaking,” Maypop, 2002
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“The Glance,” Viking, 1999
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“The Soul of Rumi,” Harper, San Francisco, 2001
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“We Are Three,” Maypop, 1987
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“Delicious Laughter,” Maypop, 1989
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“Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion,” Shambhala, 1991
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“Gourd Seed,” Maypop, 1993
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“Like This,” Maypop, 1989
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“One-Handed Basket Weaving,” Maypop, 1991
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"The Hand of Poetry: Five Mystic Poets of Persia,” Omega, 1993
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“The Illuminated Rumi,” Broadway, 1997
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“This Longing,” Threshold, 1986
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“Unseen Rain,” Shambhala, 1986
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