Ira was awarded two regional Emmys for television writing. He is the author of Remembering Rew, a poetry chapbook,and the full-length books Some Holy Weight in the Village Air, Songs From an Earlier Century, and The Creek at the End of the Lawns and a collection of essays Wide and Wavy Out of Salamanca.  Ira has a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from New England College.  He has taught poetry at New England College, the University of Connecticut, Mercy College, and Founders Hall.

He appeared for many years on CBS Television’s Early Show.  Ira and his wife, Shelly, live in Ridgefield.