Bill Zavatsky is an American poet, journalist, jazz pianist, and translator. Zavatsky could be described as a second-generation New York School poet, influenced by such writers as Frank O'Hara and Kenneth Koch. (Koch was his professor at Columbia University.) In addition to the wry humor typical of the New York School, Zavatsky adds to his poetry an emotional poignancy that gives it additional depth.
Zavatsky has worked as a journalist; his articles have appeared in The New York Times Book Review and Rolling Stone. He was editor-in-chief of SUN press and SUN magazine. He has taught workshops for Teachers & Writers Collaborative, Long Island University, and University of Texas-Austin For many years he taught English at Trinity School in New York City, where his students frequently won creative writing awards.
