Paul Carroll
Paul Carroll was a notable American poet and editor born in 1927 to an affluent Irish-Catholic family in Chicago. His life was marked by significant challenges, including the loss of his family’s wealth during the Great Depression and the death of his father, which left him under the care of an emotionally distant mother. Carroll’s poetry was heavily influenced by the emerging bohemian and beatnik culture of his time, but he often faced criticism for not conforming to established literary norms. A notable incident in his early career involved his close competition for the Yale Younger Poets Prize, which he lost due to the perceived profanity in his work.
Despite not achieving widespread success as a poet, Carroll earned respect as an editor, particularly through his work with Big Table magazine, an avant-garde publication that featured emerging writers such as William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac from 1959 to 1961. Big Table was known for its controversial content, leading to a significant legal battle with the United States Post Office. Carlo also contributed to the literary community by editing several poetry anthologies and helping to establish the Chicago Poetry Center, which promotes poetry through live readings and events.
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Paul Carroll
Poet
- Born: July 15, 1927
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: 1996
Biography
Paul Carroll was born in 1927 to a wealthy Irish-Catholic family in Chicago. His family lost the bulk of their banking and real estate fortune during the Great Depression. Carroll’s father died shortly thereafter, thus leaving him in the care of his emotionally distant mother.
As his education progressed, Carroll became increasingly influenced by the bohemian, beatnik poetry that was beginning to emerge at the time. Although his early poetry often received praise for its obvious quality, much of it was simultaneously dismissed for failing to meet certain standards of acceptability. A frequently cited example is the occasion in which Carroll found himself in close contention for the Yale Younger Poets Prize but ultimately lost the competition on the grounds that his work was too “profane.”
This dichotomy—that of a poet who could not resist the lure of the emerging counter-culture yet who also appreciated tradition and could not escape his well-healed background—would follow Carroll throughout the remainder of his career. While he never found great success as a poet in his own right, Carroll eventually garnered great respect as an editor, best known for his dedication to furthering the careers of young poets.
Among his many accomplishments, Carroll is perhaps best remembered for his work as editor of Big Table magazine, a short-lived but influential avant-garde journal that published work by young talents such as William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac from 1959 to 1961. Big Table gained notoriety for its willingness to publish material that was considered to be obscene, leading to a protracted court case with the United States Post Office. Carroll also edited numerous poetry anthologies and played an important role in the founding of Chicago’s popular Poetry Center, a forum providing the general public with access to poetry through live readings and other regular events.