His last volume, entitled Poems Seven: New and Complete Poetry, was published in 2001[4] by Seven Stories Press in New York City and won Dugan a second National Book Award.

[5] Dugan grew up in Jamaica, Queens, and served in World War II, experiences which entered his poetry, though he was not a confessional poet.

He lived in Truro, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, where he was a member of the Writing Committee of the Fine Arts Work Center.

Dugan's work was published in successive numbered collections under the simple title Poems.

Alan Dugan was married to the artist Judith Shahn, to whom he dedicated each of his books.