A man wearing glasses and a beanie looks thoughtfully to the left, partially illuminated by soft light against a green background. Photo © Matthew Thompson.

Cornelius Eady

Cornelius Eady (he/him) is the author of Proof, a poem written for and read at the 2026 Inauguration of NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani. His poetry collections include: Victims of the Latest Dance Craze, winner of the 1985 Lamont Prize; The Gathering of My Name, nominated for a 1992 Pulitzer Prize; Brutal Imagination, a National Book Award finalist, and Hardheaded Weather. He was recently appointed a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, and is co-founder of the Cave Canem Foundation.