Kelly has published more than fifty books of poetry and prose, including Red Actions: Selected Poems 1960-1993 (1995) and a collection of short fictions, A Transparent Tree (1985). Many were published by the Black Sparrow Press. He also edited the anthology A Controversy of Poets (1965).Kelly was of great help to the Hungryalist group of poets of India during the trial of Malay Roychoudhury,with whom he had correspondence,now archived at Kolkata.Kelly received the Los Angeles Times First Annual Book Award (1980) for Kill the Messenger Who Brings Bad News and the American Book Award, Before Columbus Foundation (1991) for In Time.
Has 2 sisters, Lisa and Cara, and one brother, Andrew. He also has one niece, named Kristen.
Went to Iraq, with comedians Steve Byrne and Colin Quinn , to give out copies of their DVD, entitled "Full Metal Comedy", to give the troops some laughter and hope.
Close friends with Jerry Seinfeld.
Although he often plays Latino characters, he is of Irish descent.
Former roommates with Bill Burr.
Good friends with Louis C.K..
Is an avid S.N.U.B.A. diver and often travels to Aruba to enjoy the sport.
Is a founder of the Riotcast Network which hosts his own podcast "Robert Kellys: You Know What Dude." The network also hosts one of the worlds most listened to shows the "Chip Chipperson Podacast." Kelly discovered Chipperson after meeting him at a Weight Watchers meeting where he immediately recognized his potential as an entertainer and show host. Chipperson s podacast was credited in 2017 with saving the network which had been floundering.
We sleep in language if language does not come to wake us up with its strangeness. .
