Award winning Cheyenne poet to read at NOC Enid; free and open to the public
Lance Henson, an award-winning poet who has taken his work from western Oklahoma to the world, will read a selection of his accessible, image-driven works at the Northern Oklahoma College Enid campus at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the Marshall Hall chapel.
Of Cheyenne, Oglala, and Cajun French ancestry, Henson was raised in Calumet actively involved in Southern Cheyenne tribal culture. He served in the U. S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and later earned a bachelor's degree (BA) from the Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts (now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma) in Chickasha and a Master in Fine Arts Degree (MFA) in creative writing from the University of Tulsa. He is a member of the Cheyenne Dog Soldier Society, the Native American Church, and the American Indian Movement and has participated in the Cheyenne Sun Dance rituals.
After working as an Oklahoma Artist-in-Residence for the State Arts Council for several years, he took his work on the road, eventually reading and conducting poetry workshops in venues across the U. S. and in Europe and Asia. He has been a featured reader at the One World Poetry Festival in Amsterdam, the International Poetry Festival in Tarascon, France, and at the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival in New Jersey, one of the most prestigious gatherings of America's top poets.
His numerous publications, which have been translated into over two dozen languages and now often appear in bilingual editions due to his popularity in Europe, include "Naming the Dark: Poems from the Cheyenne," "A Cheyenne Sketchbook: Selected Poems 1970-1991," "Strong Heart Songs: Lines from a Revolutionary Text," and his newest book of poems, "One Who Whispers Softly" (published by Geko Press of South Africa).
Henson's work hasn't been limited to poetry; he has lectured on issues related to native and indigenous peoples for the United States Information Service in Singapore, Thailand, New Guinea, and New Zealand, and has twice attended the United Nations Indigenous Peoples Conference in Geneva, in 1988 and 1997. He has also written two well-received plays, "Winter Man" and "Coyote Road," and collaborated with jazz and world musicians, including the legendary keyboardist and producer Brian Eno.
Henson, who currently lives in Italy, is in the U. S. for a limited number of readings, and NOC is proud to be one of his chosen stops. His appearance is sponsored by the NOC Division of Language Arts through the NOC Foundation, who invite everyone to this free event. Henson will have books available for purchase at the event.
