Do you participate in other sports?
Yes, I ski, play tennis and have even subbed on a local soccer team. Being active and fit is important to me.
How did you become a poet?
I was born into a family of writers. Dad was a psychiatrist and nonfiction writer, and my mom a freelance writer. Both wrote a little poetry. They named me for W.H. Auden. I began writing poetry seriously after a breakup with a woman in law school. We'd been together seven years.
Whose work do you admire?
I like contemporary poets mostly, including Donald Hall, Dave Smith, David Bottoms, J.D. McClatchy, Erica Funkhouser, Billy Collins, Louise Gluck, Meghan O'Rourke and Clive James.
Can you describe your work? What do you write about?
The poems may be five lines or five pages, and rhyme more often than not. I've written about cycling, the Concorde jet, the war in Iraq, watching my neighbor mow the lawn, phrases that fascinate me, childhood experiences or the view from my office window at night. Nostalgia and the passage of time are common themes.
Have you been published?
Only once, but I've submitted to The New Yorker and Poetry magazine. I'm more interested in publishing essays and journal articles at the moment. I consider writing one of my strengths. I can write a good persuasive brief easily, but it can take months to write and revise a poem.
Poetry seems to come from the heart and law from the head. Is there any common ground?
Yes, both require good writing skills, concentration, a good vocabulary and paying attention to details and grammar.
Do you consider your life full and balanced?
Yes, with one exception. I would like to have a significant other to share things with. Between running my practice and cycling, it's tough to find time to meet new people.
Two poems by Auden L. Grumet: "Victuals" and "Tuesday Afternoon."
