Al Zolynas

Al Zolynas was born to Lithuanian parents in Austria and grew up in Sydney, Australia, and Chicago. He then spent time in Salt Lake City and St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned a PhD at the University of Utah.

Zolynas is author of the collections Near and Far (2019), The Same Air (1997), Under Ideal Conditions (1994), and The New Physics (1979). His work has appeared in many anthologies, including The Poetry of Men’s Lives: An International Anthology (2004); A Book of Luminous Things, An International Anthology of Poetry (1996); and A New Geography of Poets (1993).

In an interview with Karla Peterson in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Zolynas remarked, “One of the ongoing themes I have always been interested in is the sacredness of ordinary life, and how ordinary life reveals itself to be mysterious and wondrous when we are open to it.”

Zolynas has taught at San Diego State University and Alliant International University. He also teaches Zen meditation in Escondido, California.