Allison Hedge Coke facts for kids

Allison Adelle Hedge Coke is an American poet and editor. She is known for her powerful writing that explores important topics. These include culture, fairness, the environment, and peace.

Her first book, Dog Road Woman, won the American Book Award. This is a big honor for writers. She has written five more books and helped edit eight collections of other writers' work.

Early Life and Learning

Allison Adelle Hedge Coke was born in Amarillo, Texas. She says her family has roots from many different places. These include French-Canadian, English, Irish, and Native American groups. She identifies as Native American. Her grandfather chose not to enroll in a tribe to protest a law called the Dawes Act.

Allison had a unique childhood. She left high school early to work in farm fields. She earned her GED (a high school equivalency diploma) when she was 16. After that, she took classes at North Carolina State University. She studied photography, traditional arts, and writing. She also learned about acting and directing. Later, she earned degrees in creative writing and poetry.

Her Career

Allison Adelle Hedge Coke has had an amazing career. She has been a special visiting professor at many colleges. These include Hartwick College and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She was also a professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

She has taught writing at many other universities too. Some of these are the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is now a distinguished professor of creative writing at the University of California, Riverside.

Since 2007, she has directed the Literary Sandhill Crane Retreat. This event connects writing with the study of bird migration.

Her Poetry

Allison Adelle Hedge Coke's poetry often explores deep themes. Her book Blood Run is a collection of 66 poems. It was inspired by the Mound Builders. These were ancient Native American people who built large earth mounds. The poems in Blood Run give a voice to the history of these sites. They also share hope for protecting these special places.

Another important work is Streaming. In this book, the poem "America I sing you back" shows her concern for the United States. She wrote it because she was worried about greed and how natural resources were being used. This poem offers a different view of America's identity. It follows in the footsteps of famous poets like Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes.

In 2022, she published Look at This Blue. This book was considered for the 2022 National Book Award for Poetry.

Discography

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

Awards

Allison Adelle Hedge Coke has won many awards for her work:

• Witter Bynner Fellowship (2016)
• Winner: 2015 IPPY Award – Bronze Medal
• Four Pushcart Prize nominations (2009)
• Fellow at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Great Plains Studies (2008–current)
• South Dakota Arts Council Collaborative Grant (2008–9)
• Paul Hanly Furfey Lecture (2008)
• Journal of the Year Editor for Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers (2006–2007)
• King Chavez Parks Teaching Award (2005)
• South Dakota Arts Council Artist Fellowship (2002)
• Excellence in Teaching Awards (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 (1995)