Robert Lowell (1917-77) was born in Boston. ''Life Studies'', published in 1959, was a watershed in American poetry, initiating an autobiographical project that became the dominating feature of his work, and shaped poetry on both sides of the Atlantic. He was the renowned and controversial author of many books of poetry, including ''For The Union Dead'' (1964) and ''Day By Day'' (1977). Faber published his ''Collected Poems'' in 2003.