1999-2013 From 1999 to 2001, he taught at
Xavier University of Louisiana, and in 2001 he became a creative writing professor at
Carnegie Mellon University. His second collection,
Hip Logic (2002), won the
National Poetry Series, was a finalist for the
Los Angeles Times Book Award, and runner-up for the
James Laughlin Award from the
Academy of American Poets. He won the National Book Award for
Lighthead in 2010. In praising Hayes's work,
Cornelius Eady has said: "First you'll marvel at his skill, his near-perfect pitch, his disarming humor, his brilliant turns of phrase. Then you'll notice the grace, the tenderness, the unblinking truth-telling just beneath his lines, the open and generous way he takes in our world." awarded to individuals who show outstanding creativity in their work. He held the role in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, he won a
Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for his poetry collection
American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin. In 2023, Hayes, alongside Nancy Krygowski and
Jeffrey McDaniel, was named editor of the Pitt Poetry Series. He released the poetry collection
So To Speak in 2023. In 2024, he had authored seven poetry collections In 2024, he remained a creative writing professor at New York University. ==Awards==