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Allison Adelle Hedge Coke is an American poet and editor. Her debut book, ''Dog Road Woman'', won the
American Book Award The American Book Awards are an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for "outstanding literary achievement". According to the 2010 awards press release, it is "a writers' award given by other writers" and "t ...
and was the first finalist of the Paterson Poetry Prize and Diane DeCora Award. Since then, she has written five more books and edited eight anthologies. She is known for addressing issues of culture, prejudice, rights, the environment, peace, violence, abuse, and labor in her poetry and other creative works.


Early life and education

Coke was born in Amarillo, Texas, to a family she says were of French-Canadian, Alsatian, English, Irish, Welsh, Portuguese,
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
,
Huron Huron may refer to: Native American ethnography * Huron people, who have been called Wyandotte, Wyandot, Wendat and Quendat * Huron language, an Iroquoian language * Huron-Wendat Nation, or Huron-Wendat First Nation, or Nation Huronne-Wendat * N ...
, and
Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek or just Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language; English: ), are a group of related Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands Here they waged war again ...
descent. She self-identifies as Native American despite not being enrolled in any Native tribe, and wrote her paternal grandfather Vaughn "refused tribal enrollment for himself and his children" to protest the "diabolical Dawe's Act". The
Tribal Alliance Against Frauds The Tribal Alliance Against Frauds (TAAF) is a non-profit organization based in the United States that is dedicated to exposing individuals and organizations that have falsely claimed to be American Indian, as well as to educating the public on ...
published her genealogy back to 1712 showing no Native American or
First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...
ancestors. Hedge Coke had a very non-traditional childhood educational experience, dropping out of high school to work in the crop fields to provide for herself. She then completed her GED at age 16 where she shortly after began taking community education classes at North Carolina State University, studying photography, traditional arts, and writing. Hedge Coke studied performance, directing and tech at Estelle Harmon's Actors Workshop, and went on to earn an AFAW in creative writing from the
Institute of American Indian Arts The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is a public tribal land-grant college in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. The college focuses on Native American art. It operates the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), which is housed ...
(IAIA summer exchange fellow at Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics Summer Writing Program), and an MFA in poetry from Vermont College.


Career

She held a
National Endowment for the Humanities The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
Distinguished Visiting Professor/Writer appointment for
Hartwick College Hartwick College is a private liberal arts college in Oneonta, New York. The institution's origin is rooted in the founding of Hartwick Seminary in 1797 through the will of John Christopher Hartwick. In 1927, the seminary became a four-year coll ...
(2004). She is an original and emeritus fellow of the Black Earth Institute Think-Tank, a MacDowell Colony for the Arts Fellow, a Hawthorden Castle Fellow, a Soul Mountain Fellow, a Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities Fellow, a
Lannan Foundation The Lannan Literary Awards are a series of awards and literary fellowships given out in various fields by the Lannan Foundation. Established in 1989, the awards are meant "to honor both established and emerging writers whose work is of exceptional ...
residency fellow, and a current
University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the M ...
Center for Great Plains Studies Fellow (flagship campus). She served as the Distinguished Paul W. Reynolds and Clarice Kingston Reynolds Endowed Chair in English, and as an Associate Professor of Poetry & Creative Writing in the English Department of the
University of Nebraska at Kearney The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) is a campus of the public University of Nebraska system and located in Kearney, Nebraska. It was founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney. History In March 1903 the Nebraska S ...
(2007–2012) and University of Nebraska low-residency MFA program (2007–current). She was visiting Artist of the
University of Central Oklahoma The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma, United States. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with almost 13,000 students and approximately 430 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founded in ...
(2012–2014), and a Distinguished Writer in Residence at the
University of Hawaii at Manoa A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...
(2014). She has also served as a Visiting Writer for the University of California Riverside (2014) and University of California Riverside–Palm Desert (2008), and taught for
Northern Michigan University Northern Michigan University (Northern Michigan, Northern or NMU) is a public university in Marquette, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1899 by the Michigan Legislature as Northern State Normal School. In 1963, the state designa ...
, the
University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...
, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Kilian College, and the
University of Sioux Falls The University of Sioux Falls (USF) is a private university in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. In fall 2014, the university enrolled a total of 1,142 undergraduate students and 311 graduate students. ...
. Hedge Coke is a founding faculty member of the low residency
Vermont College of Fine Arts Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is a private graduate-level college affiliated with California Institute of the Arts. It offers Master's degrees in a low-residency format. Its faculty includes Pulitzer Prize finalists, National Book Award wi ...
MFA program in Writing and Publishing (2015–), teaches for
Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and docto ...
's Red Earth MFA (2016–), and is visiting faculty for the Summer Writing Program at
Naropa University Naropa University is a private university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa, it is named after the 11th-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, an abbot of Nalanda. The university ...
. She has directed the annual Literary Sandhill Crane Retreat, in conjunction with her studies in migration patterning influence on flyway communities, since 2007. Hedge Coke is a distinguished professor of creative writing at the
University of California, Riverside The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of Cali ...
.


Poetry

Hedge Coke's work ''Blood Run'', a free verse poetry collection of 66 poems, was inspired by the traditions of the Native American
Mound Builders Many pre-Columbian cultures in North America were collectively termed "Mound Builders", but the term has no formal meaning. It does not refer to specific people or archaeological culture but refers to the characteristic mound earthworks that in ...
and their earthworks. ''Blood Run'' revives the history of the sites giving profound voice to humans, animals, plants and structures, also with political-ecological hope for the future to preserve ancient spiritual places. The poems show a mathematical patterning based on the numbers four, three and seven and on the sequence of the first 24.
primes A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
. In Hedge Coke's ''Streaming'', the poem, ''America I sing you back'' was born not out of anger but concern for what she saw happening in the United States 12 years ago, alarmed by the greediness of politicians to take natural resources from the land. ''America I sing you back'' can be interpreted as an alternate view to the identity of America, following in the footsteps of Walt Whitman's poem, ''I Hear America Singing'' and Langston Hughes, ''I too''. In 2022, she published '' Look at This Blue'', which was longlisted for the 2022
National Book Award for Poetry The National Book Award for Poetry is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers".
.


Discography

*''Streaming'', Long Person Records (Yvwi Gvnahita), with trio project Rd Klā (album)


Bibliography

*''Burn'' (Illustrated by Dustin Mater), MadHat Press, 2017 (Poems) *''Effigies III,'' Editor,
Salt Publishing Salt Publishing is an independent publisher whose origins date back to 1990 when poet John Kinsella launched ''Salt Magazine'' in Western Australia. The journal rapidly developed an international reputation as a leading publisher of new poetry ...
, UK, 2019 *''Streaming'', Coffee House Press (poems). *''Effigies II: An Anthology of New Indigenous Writing.'' Editor,
Salt Publishing Salt Publishing is an independent publisher whose origins date back to 1990 when poet John Kinsella launched ''Salt Magazine'' in Western Australia. The journal rapidly developed an international reputation as a leading publisher of new poetry ...
. 2014 Native America Calling Book of the Month *''Rock, Ghost, Willow, Deer'', University of Nebraska Press (memoir, paperback edition), *''Sing: Poetry of the Indigenous Americas'', Editor, University of Arizona Press. 2011. *''Effigies: An Anthology of New Indigenous Writing'', Pacific Rim, Editor, Salt Publishing. 2009. *Acquisition editor: ''Bone Light'' by Orlando White,
Red Hen Press Red Hen Press is an American non-profit press located in Pasadena, California, and specializing in the publication of poetry, literary fiction, and nonfiction. The press is a member of the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, and was a fin ...
. 2009. *''Ahani: Indigenous American Poetry'', Editor,
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...
. *''Blood Run'', Salt Publishing (free verse play poems) *''Off-Season City Pipe'', Coffee House Press (poems) *''From the Fields'', editor, California Poets in the Schools Press. *''Rock, Ghost, Willow, Deer'', University of Nebraska Press (memoir) *''They Wanted Children'', editor, Sioux Falls School District Press. ( Sioux Falls School District (South Dakota)) *''Coming to Life'', editor, Sioux Falls School District Press, (Sioux Falls School District) *''Dog Road Woman : Poems'', , Coffee House Press. *''Year of the Rat'', (Chapbook) Grimes Press. *''It's Not Quiet Anymore: New Work from the Institute of American Indian Arts'', Co-Senior Editor with Heather Ahtone,
Institute of American Indian Arts The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is a public tribal land-grant college in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. The college focuses on Native American art. It operates the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), which is housed ...
Press.http://www.spdbooks.org/Products/14794/its-not-quiet-anymore-new-work-from-the-institute-of-american-indian-arts.aspx *''Voices of Thunder: New Work from the Institute of American Indian Arts'', Co-Senior Editor with Heather Ahtone,
Institute of American Indian Arts The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is a public tribal land-grant college in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. The college focuses on Native American art. It operates the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), which is housed ...
Press.


In anthology

*Melissa Tuckey, ed. ''Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology''.
University of Georgia Press The University of Georgia Press or UGA Press is the university press of the University of Georgia, a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia. It is the oldest and largest publishing house in Georgia and a me ...
, 2018.


Books edited or co-edited

*''Effigies III,'' Editor'','' Salt Publications, UK, 2019 *''Effigies II: An Anthology of New Indigenous Writing''. Editor, Salt Publishing. 2014"http://www.saltpublishing.com/writers/profile.php?recordID=208324 " *''Sing: Poetry of the Indigenous Americas'', Editor, University of Arizona Press. 2011. *''Effigies: An Anthology of New Indigenous Writing'', Pacific Rim, Editor, Salt Publishing. 2009. *''Bone Light'' by Orlando White, series editor, Red Hen Press. 2009."http://blog.pshares.org/index.php/i-dont-stand-alone-poets-orlando-white-and-sherwin-bitsui-on-the-importance-of-mentors/"> *''From the Fields'', Editor, California Poets in the Schools Press. *Ahani: Indigenous American Poetry", Editor, Oregon State University.
Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctor ...
. *''They Wanted Children'', editor, Sioux Falls School District Press. Sioux Falls School District (South Dakota) Sioux Falls School District (South Dakota) Poems and stories of coping. The Lost Boys from Sudan, American Indian students, Immigrant... *''Coming to Life'', editor, Sioux Falls School District Press. Sioux Falls School District (South Dakota). Sioux Falls School District (South Dakota) Poems of Peace After 9–11. *''It's Not Quiet Anymore: New Work from the Institute of American Indian Arts'', Co-Senior Editor with Heather Ahtone, Institute of American Indian Arts Press.
Institute of American Indian Arts The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is a public tribal land-grant college in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. The college focuses on Native American art. It operates the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), which is housed ...
Press. *''Voices of Thunder: New Work from the Institute of American Indian Arts'', Co-Editor with Heather Ahtone, Institute of American Indian Arts Press.


Awards

*
Witter Bynner Fellowship Witter Bynner Fellowships are administered by the Library of Congress and sponsored by the Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry, an organization that provides grant support for poetry programs through nonprofit organizations. Fellows are chosen by ...
Appointed by the US Poet Laureate,
Juan Felipe Herrera Juan Felipe Herrera (born on December 27, 1948) is an American poet, performer, writer, cartoonist, teacher, and activist. Herrera was the 21st United States Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017. He is a major figure in the literary field of Chicano ...
, 2016. *Winner: 2015 IPPY Award – Bronze Medal (Independent Publisher Book Awards) *Four
Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...
nominations in 2009 for work published in 2008. * Fellow
University of Nebraska-Lincoln A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
Center for Great Plains Studies. 2008–current. *'' South Dakota Arts Council Collaborative Grant'' in 2008–9. *''Paul Hanly Furfey Lecture''. An Endowed Lecture.
Association for the Sociology of Religion The Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) is an academic association with more than 700 members worldwide. It publishes a journal, ''Sociology of Religion'', and holds meetings at the same venues and times as the American Sociological As ...
. Boston, MA. 2008. *''Journal of the Year Editor'' in 2006–2007 ''
Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers The Native Writers' Circle of the Americas (NWCA) is an organization of writers who identify as being Native American, First Nations, or of Native American ancestry. The organization presents literary awards annually to writers in three categorie ...
'' ''To Topos International Journal of Poetry'' ''Ahani: Indigenous American Poetry'' Oregon State University. 2008. *''King Chavez Parks Teaching Award''
Northern Michigan University Northern Michigan University (Northern Michigan, Northern or NMU) is a public university in Marquette, Michigan, United States. It was established in 1899 by the Michigan Legislature as Northern State Normal School. In 1963, the state designa ...
. 2005. *''South Dakota Arts Council Artist Fellowship'' 2002. *''Excellence in Teaching Awards'' Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. 2002 and 2004. *''South Dakota Arts Council'' ''Individual Artist Project Grants/Fellowships'' 1999, 2002. *''South Dakota Arts Council'' ''Artist in Residence'' 1998–current. *''Abiko Quarterly'' ''Editor's Choice Award''. Cid Corman, Editor. 1995.


References


Sources

* “Allison Adelle Hedge Coke.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/allison-adelle-hedge-coke. * “Allison Adelle Hedge Coke.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, www.poets.org/poet/allison-adelle-hedge-coke. * “Blood Run.” Salt, Salt Publishing, www.saltpublishing.com/products/blood-run-9781844712663. * Brooks, Mary Jo. “America, I Sing You Back.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, November 15, 2016, PBS/newshour/arts/poetry/america-sing-back.


External links


Hedge Coke's blog