Celebrating poetry month: Joseph Bruchac
For so long, I have seen little of Native American stories in mainstream media. But Joseph Bruchac’s subtle yet effective advocacy paints the stories in his pieces with careful, sympathetic strokes, a quality that has pushed his work into the public’s spotlight.
Joseph Bruchac has been publishing literature for well over forty years including novels in both prose and poetry. As a Nulhegan Abenaki, he draws inspiration from his culture, especially its folklore. Empathetic advocacy for the environment, the incarcerated, and diversity vein many of his pieces and projects including the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press which he founded with his wife, Carol. His career boasts numerous awards and recognition for over six-hundred books and publications.
- Avalon Felice Lee
Joseph Bruchac
Samples of Poetry
Paris Review, 1976 [poem]
“Birdfoot Grampa” / “Walking” / “Near the Mountains”
Joseph Bruchac, 1978, 1987, 1999 [misc. poems]
Joseph Bruchac, 1995 [poem]
poetry excerpt from “Poetic Medicine” by John Fox
Spirituality Practice, 1997
Poetry Foundation, 2011 [poem]
Poetry Foundation, 2011 [poem]
Ndakinna by Neil Leadbeater Reviews
Galatea Resurrects, 2012 [poetry analysis & excerpted poems]
Poetry Reading: Joseph Bruchac reads "What We Eat" from "Here We Go: A Poetry Friday Power Book"
First Book, 2017 [poetry reading]
Poetry Night with Joseph Bruchac, D. Colin, & Bunkong Tuon
Caffe Lena, 2020 [poetry reading]
Interviews and Essays
Poetry Makers - Joseph Bruchac
The Miss Rumphius Effect, 2009 [interview]
Seeing Through the Blueline: Reflections on the Poetry of Joseph Bruchac
Rob Rich, 2010 [poetry analysis]
Reading Rockets, 2015 [interview]
Student Interview Series Part IX
Critical Ethnic Studies, 2018
Joseph Bruchac Interview Transcript
Scholastic [interview]
“Late Summer on Glass Factory Mountain” / “Tutuwas”
Connotation Press [misc. poems]
Q & A American Poetry: Joseph Bruchac
Poetry Society of America [interview]
Books of poetry and verse novels/memoirs/collections for young people
Indian Mountain and Other Poems (1971)
The Buffalo in the Syracuse Zoo and Other Poems (1972)
The Poetry of Pop (1973)
Great Meadow: Words of Hearsay and Heresy (1973)
The Manabozho Poems (1974)
Flow (1975)
Garter Snakes (1976)
Entering Onondaga (1978)
Mu'ndu Wi-'go: Poems from Mohegan stories and the Mohegan diary of Flying Bird (Mrs. Fidelia A. H. Fielding) (1978)
There Are No Trees Inside the Prison (1978)
The Good Message of Handsome Lake (1979)
Translator’s Son (1980)
Near the Mountains (1987)
Long Memory and other poems / illustrations by Kahionhe (1989)
Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back: A Native American Year of Moons / by Joseph Bruchac and Jonathan London; illustrated by Thomas Locker (1992)
The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet / illustrations by Thomas Locker (1995)
Four Ancestors: Stories, Songs, and Poems from Native North America / illustrations by S.S. Burrus (1996)
The Circle of Thanks / illustrations by Murv Jacob (1996)
No Borders (1999)
Above the Line: New Poems (2003)
Ndakinna (2003)
Above the Line (2005)
Thanku: Poems of Gratitude / Ed. Miranda Paul, illustrated by Marlena Myles (2019)
Rez Dogs (2021)
Examples of Recognition
1984 American Book Award for Breaking Silence
1995 Knickerbocker Award
1997 Paterson Award for Dog People
1998 Writer of the Year Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas
1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas
1999 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas
1999 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award for Heart of a Chief
2000 Parents Choice Gold Award for Crazy Horse's Vision
2001 Parents Guide to Childrens' Media Award for Skeleton Man
2005 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award
Scientific American Children’s Book Award
Cherokee Nation Prose Award
Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children’s Literature