About

Bio

Edward Donald Nudelman (born June 13, 1953) is an American poet with five published poetry books. Recently retired from a productive career in cancer research where he was head scientist in several biotech companies, Nudelman has been active in the poetry world with a large social media audience. He is a native of Seattle, where he owns and operates a rare book company which he founded in 1980.  

Edward Nudelman received all of his pre-college education on Mercer Island, a community just East of Seattle, and graduated from Mercer Island High School. There he was awarded participation in his senior year to an alternative “block classroom,” consisting of reading classic philosophers and literary high-points, including poets. Nudelman graduated from the University of Washington in 1976, receiving honors and separate and sequential degrees in both Zoology and Chemistry. Turning down a medical school acceptance, Nudelman pursued a career in scientific research, an ambition he’d held since youth, by accepting a laboratory appointment in 1976 at the prestigious Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. He remained at FHCRC for the next ten years, authoring 25 papers on novel cancer therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. He then cofounded The Biomembrane Institute, also in Seattle, where he remained for eight years, publishing an additional 30 papers in cancer research. The new position offered time to explore other avenues, including writing and specifically poetry. Nudelman closed out his career in scientific research by cofounding a cancer biotech company in Boston, where he and his wife lived for seven years.

It was during the time spent in Boston that Nudelman developed his poetry, joining a key group of poets in the Boston area who shared poems and workshopped together, many of which went on to have flourishing careers. A special union occurred with his relationship with Franz Wright, especially near the end of his life, helping him deal with his diagnosis and looking for ways to pursue readings, such as prisons. This strongly influenced Nudelman’s inclinations in poetry.

During his scientific career, Nudelman remained active in writing poetry, but it was not until 2005, when he joined a writing group in Boston, that he became active in submitting his work, first to journals. It was during his time he joineda key group of poets in the area who shared poems and workshopped together, many of whom went on to have successful careers. A special bond formed with Franz Wright, especially near the end of Wright's life, helping him cope with his diagnosis and explore ways to find reading opportunities, such as prisons. This significantly influenced Nudelman’s approach to poetry.

Nudelman’s first full-length book, Night Fires, was published in 2009. That was quickly followed by What Looks Like an Elephant (2011), and Out of Time Running (2014). Nudelman’s two latest poetry collections include: Nonlinear Equations for Growing Better Olive Trees (Kelsay Books, 2023), and Thin Places, 2025 (Salmon Poetry).

Edward Nudelman’s poetry has garnered praise from noted poets, including George Bilgere, Rae Armantrout, Scott Cairns, Grace Cavalieri, and Aaron Belz. Nudelman has won significant awards and prizes. His poetry is known for its lyrical aspects, wry humor, as well as special qualities and impressions which he has taken from his career in scientific research. Often presenting paradoxes and comparisons in nature and experience, as well as contradictory impulses of certainty and doubt, Nudelman shares his quirky and irrepressible thirst for beauty and meaning.

An avid olive grower exploring aspects of fruiting and brining, guitarist, and chess enthusiast, Nudelman still enjoys poring over arcane and sometimes frustrating lines of biomedical research and offering easy access to understanding on various social media platforms. He lives in Seattle with his wife who he met way back in 1972 in a calculus class (he found her lost contact), has three kids and is pleased to add, “many more grandkids!”