1940 - 1996
Joseph Brodsky was a Russian-American poet and essayist born on May 24, 1940, in Leningrad, Soviet Union. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1987 for his lyrical poetry and profound insights into the human condition. Brodsky's work often reflects themes of exile and identity, influenced by his experiences of political oppression in the Soviet Union before he emigrated to the United States in 1972.