Maurice Kenny facts for kids

Maurice Frank Kenny (born August 16, 1929 – died April 16, 2016) was an American poet. He was known for his strong connection to his Mohawk heritage. Kenny wrote many poems, stories, and non-fiction books. He also helped publish other Native American writers.

About Maurice Kenny's Early Life

Maurice Frank Kenny was born in Watertown, New York, on August 16, 1929. His father had Mohawk and Irish roots from Canada. His mother was born in Upstate New York and had English and Seneca ancestry.

Maurice grew up in Watertown with his two older sisters. He went to school there and spent summers on his relatives' farm. This was in nearby Cape Vincent. When he was about eleven or twelve, his parents separated. Maurice mostly stayed with his father in Watertown.

His mother moved to Bayonne, New Jersey. Maurice briefly stayed with friends in Syracuse, New York. He then moved to his mother's home in Bayonne when he was sixteen. Instead of going to school, he often went to Manhattan. He liked to get autographs from movie and theater stars. After a few months, he was sent back to his father in Watertown. He finished high school there.

Maurice Kenny's College Years

After high school, Kenny spent a summer with a traveling theater group. This was in Alexandria Bay, New York. He then tried to become an actor in New York City for a year. But he returned to Watertown.

He studied at Butler University for four years. He graduated in 1956 with a degree in English. After graduating, he briefly returned to Watertown. He took classes at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

In 1957, he moved back to Manhattan. He planned to go to Columbia University. Instead, he became a manager at a bookstore. This job let him meet many writers and artists. He also took classes at New York University. There, he met poet Louise Bogan. She greatly influenced his early writing.

Maurice Kenny's Travels and Activism

In the early 1960s, Kenny moved to Mexico. He worked as a secretary for a novelist named Willard Motley. In 1964, he moved to the United States Virgin Islands. Then, in 1966, he went to Chicago. He wrote obituaries for the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper.

In 1967, he returned to New York and settled in Brooklyn. This was his home until 1984. During the 1970s, Kenny became very active in Native American rights. He felt a strong connection to his Mohawk identity. This happened after the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1969.

He could not attend the Wounded Knee Occupation in 1973 due to health reasons. But he wrote a poem called "I Am the Sun." This poem used a traditional Lakota chant. It showed his support for the protesters.

From the late 1970s, Kenny became very productive. He wrote over twenty books of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. He also co-edited a journal called Contact/II. He ran his own publishing company, Strawberry Press. This press mainly published Native American authors.

Later Life and Legacy

After 1984, Kenny spent his time between Saranac Lake and Potsdam, New York. He taught at several colleges. These included North Country Community College, Paul Smith's College, and SUNY Potsdam. He retired from teaching in 2011.

He lived his final years in Saranac Lake. He passed away there on April 16, 2016. At the time of his death, he was working on six new books. These included his autobiography and new poetry collections.

Maurice Kenny's Career and Contributions

Maurice Kenny was a co-editor of Contact/II. This was a literary magazine and poetry press. It was active from 1976 to 1993. Kenny also edited and published for Strawberry Press. This press was most active in the 1970s and 1980s. He also ran Many Moons Press later on.

Strawberry Press published poems and artwork by Native Americans. Many times, these were in postcard form. Many Moons Press published poetry and art. It focused on writers and artists from the North Country of New York State.

Kenny read his poetry in many places. He performed across the United States and in Europe. He visited Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, and Austria. This happened during trips in 2011 and 2012. He also read at many famous places in New York City.

He was a visiting writer at many colleges and universities. These included St. Lawrence University. This university gave him an honorary doctorate in 1995. He also held residencies at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Oklahoma.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Maurice Kenny received many awards for his writing:

• In 2014, he was added to the New York Writers Hall of Fame. This was by the Empire State Center for the Book.
• In 2002, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award. This was from the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas.
• In 2000, the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers gave him the Elder Recognition Award.
• In 1995, he received an honorary doctorate from St. Lawrence University.
• In 1984, his book The Mama Poems won the American Book Award.
• In 1983, his book Wounds Beneath the Flesh won an award from Bloomsbury Review.
• He also received a National Public Radio Award. This was for a radio show of his poem "Dug-Out."

Award Nominations

• In 1996, his book On Second Thought was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award.
• Kenny was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize. This was for his books Blackrobe: Isaac Jogues and Between Two Rivers.

Maurice Kenny's Published Poetry

• The Hopeless Kill, Watertown Daily Times (1956)
• Dead Letters Sent, and Other Poems, Troubadour Press (1958)
• With Love to Lesbia, Aardvark Press (1959)
• And Grieve, Lesbia, Aardvark Press (1960)
• North: Poems of Home, Blue Cloud Quarterly (1977)
• Only As Far As Brooklyn, Good Gay Poets Press (1979)
• I Am The Sun, White Pine Press (1979)
• Dancing Back Strong the Nation: Poems by Maurice Kenny, with an introduction by [Paula Gunn Allen], White Pine Press (1981)
• Kneading the Blood, Strawberry Press (1981)
• Blackrobe: Isaac Jogues, b. March 11, 1607, d. October 18, 1646: Poems, North Country Community College Press (1982)
• Boston Tea Party, Soup Press (1982)
• The Smell of Slaughter, Blue Cloud Quarterly (1982)
• Wounds Beneath the Flesh (1983)
• The Mama Poems, White Pine Press (1st ed. 1984, 2nd ed. 2008)
• Is Summer This Bear, Chauncy Press (1985)
• Between Two Rivers: Selected Poems, 1956-1984, White Pine Press (1985)
• Humors And/Or Not So Humorous, Swift Kick Press (1988)
• The Short and the Long of It, University of Arkansas Press (1990)
• Last Mornings in Brooklyn, Point Riders Press (1991)
• Tekonwatonti: Molly Brant (1735-1795): Poems of War, White Pine Press (1st ed. 1992, 2nd ed. 2008)
• On Second Thought: A Compilation, University of Oklahoma Press (1995)
• In the Time of the Present: New Poems, Michigan State University Press (2000)
• Carving Hawk: New and Selected Poems, 1956-2000, White Pine Press (2005)
• Connotations, White Pine Press (2008)
• Feeding Bears, Many Moons Press (2010)
• Saranac Lake Ghost Poems, Ghost City Press (2016)
• Monahsetah, Resistance, and Other Markings on Turtle’s Back, Mongrel Empire (2017)
• Wild Daisies from the Side of the Road: A Collective Tribute to Maurice Kenny, Many Moons Press (2018)

Maurice Kenny's Published Prose

• Rain and Other Fictions, White Pine (1991)
• Backward to Forward: Prose Pieces, White Pine (1997)
• Tortured Skins and Other Fictions, Michigan State University Press (2000)
• Angry Rain: A Memoir, State University of New York Press (October 2018)