Toby Altman, Director, RCAH Center for Poetry

Toby Altman holds an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Northwestern University. In addition to publishing multiple chapbooks of poetry, Dr. Altman has published two full-length books: Arcadia, Indiana (2017, Plays Inverse) and Discipline Park (2023, Wendy’s Subway). A third book, Jewel Box, is due to be published by Essay Press in 2025. He has held fellowships from the Graham Foundation, MacDowell, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Dr. Altman has published scholarship in journals such as English Literary History and Contemporary Literature. An accomplished teacher, Dr. Altman has taught courses in composition, literature, and creative writing at such institutions as Beloit College, the University of Iowa, Loyola University, and Northwestern University. Dr. Altman has helped to organize events that celebrate poetry in community settings, including What Happens: A Festival of Poets’ Theater in Iowa City and the Absinthe and Zygote Poetry Reading Series in Chicago.