Kimberly M. Blaeser facts for kids
Kimberly M. Blaeser was born in 1955. She is a talented Native American poet and writer. She is part of the White Earth Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. From 2015 to 2016, she was the Poet Laureate for Wisconsin.
Early Life and Heritage
Kimberly Blaeser was born in 1955 in Billings, Montana. She has both German and Anishinaabe heritage. She grew up on the White Earth reservation. This is a special place for her Native American community. In 2024, she will start a new role. She will be the Lois and Willard Mackey Chair in Creative Writing at Beloit College.
Her Work as a Poet and Writer
Kimberly Blaeser was chosen as the Wisconsin Poet Laureate. This happened on January 7, 2015, for the years 2015–2016. She lives in a rural area of Wisconsin. Blaeser is also a Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. There, she teaches students how to write creatively. She also teaches about Native American literature.
Her first book of poems is called Trailing You. It won an award in 1993. This was the Diane Decorah First Book Award. She was also the first person to write a full book about the stories of Gerald Vizenor. He is another writer from the White Earth Ojibwe community.
Kimberly Blaeser's writings are very popular. They are included in many collections of works by different authors. Her work has been translated into several languages. These include Spanish, Norwegian, and Anishinaabemowin. She has shared her poetry all over the world. She has given readings in over 200 places. These include performances at the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia. She also performed at a Fire-Ceremony in arctic Norway.
Helping Others in Literature
Blaeser actively helps in the world of literature and arts. She also works for social justice. She is on the editorial board for two important book series. These are the American Indian Lives series and the Native American Series. She has also advised the Sequoyah Research Center. She was part of the Poetry Fellowship Panel for the National Endowment of the Arts.
Most recently, Blaeser started a group in Milwaukee. It is called the Milwaukee Native American Literary Cooperative. This group helped bring 75 Native American writers to Milwaukee. This was for a big festival in 2012. The group continues to hold events every year.
