Considered the engineer of the moment, Theodore Zoli
is a bridge builder, lead engineer, and the topic of the article “Theodore
Zoli, Genius Bridge Engineer,” by Tom Chiarella. This brief but intimate
biography of Zoli reveals a man who sees poetry in building bridges. In the
article, Zoli discusses Hart Crane’s long poem “The Bridge,” and explains why
it’s not his favorite of Hart’s poems, although most people consider it as
Hart’s best work.
In addition to revealing Zoli’s love of poetry, the
article sheds light on his love for building bridges. It also goes into what it
takes to be a successful engineer and bridge builder today as opposed to
generations ago. According to the article, the engineer of the moment must
specialize in a special dance between rebuilding on what has been done before
and improving ancient strategies of his profession. Zoli comments on why the
George Washington Bridge is a good bridge, why the Queensboro Bridge is a bad
bridge, and why the Manhattan is just a “so-so bridge.”
Read the entire article: http://www.esquire.com/features/brightest-2010/theodore-zoli-bio-1210
