Coleman Barks

Coleman Barks
Barks in 2004
Born
Coleman Bryan Barks

(1937-04-23)April 23, 1937
DiedFebruary 23, 2026(2026-02-23) (aged 88)
OccupationPoet
GenreAmerican poetry
Notable worksGourd Seed, The Essential Rumi
SpouseKittsu Greenwood (1962–?, divorced)
ChildrenBenjamin, Cole
RelativesElizabeth Barks Cox (sister)
Website
www.colemanbarks.com

Coleman Bryan Barks (April 23, 1937 – February 23, 2026) was an American poet and literature faculty member at the University of Georgia. Although he neither spoke nor read Persian, he was a popular interpreter of Rumi, rewriting the poems based on other English translations.