Joseph Auslander was the first person to serve as Poet Consultant at the Library of Congress and the longest serving (1937 to 1941). Auslander published six volumes of poems; his best known is The Unconquerables (1943), poems addressed to the German-occupied countries of Europe.
Together with his wife Audrey Wurdemann, he collaborated on short stories and two novels, My Uncle Jan (1945) and The Islanders (1951). Both held paid positions at the Library of Congress. In his role as Poet Consultant, Auslander instituted the Library’s reading series.
The Homes
Joseph Auslander
3117 35th Street NW
Located in Cathedral Heights neighborhood, Northwest- West of Rock Creek