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Nancy Wood

ナンシー・ウッド

Nancy Wood

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1936-06-20 （Trenton, New Jersey, United States）
Died
2013-03-12 （Eldorado at Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States） age 76
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Irish Catholic
Residence History
Trenton, New Jersey (birth) → Colorado (1958–1985) → New Mexico (1985–2013)

Career

Occupations
Author, Poet, Photographer, Children's author, Novelist
Active Years
1963-2013
Influenced By
Pueblo peoples and Native American cultures, Taos Pueblo spiritual culture, Nature-centered worldview

Education

Bucknell University
Country: United States
Attended Bucknell University; specific graduation year and degree unknown

Awards

Carter G. Woodson Book Award
1980
Organization: Unknown
Result: 受賞
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (Poetry)
1987
Category: 詩
Organization: National Endowment for the Arts
Result: 受賞
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award
1993
Work: Spirit Walker
Category: 詩
Organization: Lee Bennett Hopkins Award (organization)
Result: 受賞
International Reading Association Teacher's Choice Award
1993
Organization: International Reading Association
Result: 受賞
Frank Waters Lifetime Achievement Award
2004
Organization: Frank Waters Foundation
Result: 受賞
Western Writers of America Spur Award
2005
Organization: Western Writers of America
Result: 受賞
Zia Award
2013
Work: The Soledad Crucifixion
Organization: University of New Mexico (related)
Result: 受賞（事後）
Independent Publisher Book Awards, Regional Fiction
2013
Category: 地域小説
Organization: Independent Publisher
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hollering Sun

1972 Poetry

A poetry collection accompanied by photographs by her husband Myron Wood. Early work reflecting nature, Western landscapes, and an interest in Native cultures.

NatureAmerican WestNative cultures

Many Winters: Prose and Poetry of the Pueblos

1974 Poetry / Prose

A collection of prose and poetry inspired by Pueblo culture and creation myths, illustrated by Frank Howell.

Creation mythsPueblo cultureRitual

Spirit Walker

1993 Poetry

A poetry collection illustrated by Frank Howell focusing on tradition and spirituality; it won a poetry award.

SpiritualityTraditionConnection to land

Thunderwoman: A Mythic Novel of the Pueblos

1999 Fiction / Mythic novel

A novel retelling a Pueblo creation myth in a modern narrative, intertwining myth and human stories.

MythCultural traditionIdentity

Eye of the West

2007 Photography collection / Retrospective

A retrospective photography collection showcasing her photographic work documenting New Mexico landscapes and culture.

Landscape photographyCultural documentationThe West

The Soledad Crucifixion

2012 Fiction

A novel reflecting Pueblo and Catholic history and culture in New Mexico; it received a posthumous award.

ReligionHistoryCultural intersection

How the Tiny People Grew Tall: An Original Creation Tale

2005 Children's literature / Creation tale

A children's book inspired by Pueblo creation myths, illustrated and retelling a creation tale.

Creation mythEducationCultural transmission

Bibliography

  • Central City: A Ballad of the West
  • Hollering Sun
  • Many Winters: Prose and Poetry of the Pueblos
  • War Cry on a Prayer Feather: Prose and Poetry of the Ute Indians
  • Spirit Walker
  • Dancing Moons
  • Shaman's Circle
  • Sacred Fire: Poetry and Prose
  • We Became as Mountains
  • Colorado: Big Mountain Country
  • Clearcut: The Deforestation of America
  • In This Proud Land: America, 1935–1943
  • The Grass Roots People: An American Requiem
  • When Buffalo Free the Mountains: The Survival of America's Ute Indians
  • Heartland New Mexico: Photographs from the Farm Administration, 1935–1943
  • Taos Pueblo
  • The Serpent’s Tongue: Prose, Poetry and Art of the New Mexico Pueblos
  • Eye of the West
  • The Last Five Dollar Baby
  • Thunderwoman: A Mythic Novel of the Pueblos
  • The King of Liberty Bend
  • Little Wrangler
  • The Girl Who Loved Coyotes: Stories of the Southwest
  • Old Coyote
  • How the Tiny People Grew Tall: An Original Creation Tale
  • Mr. and Mrs. God in the Creation Kitchen

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Lyrical, descriptive poetic styleDetailed observation of nature and landscapeNarrative voice that respects folk traditions and ritual
Recurring Motifs
Nature (wind, sun, mountains)Creation myths and ritualPueblo and Native culturesSpiritual connection to land

Health

  • Malignant melanoma
    2013（診断と死去の直前）
    Diagnosed with terminal melanoma in early 2013; the illness preceded her death in March 2013 and ended her activities.

Legacy

Nancy Wood is known for her poetry and photography centered on the American Southwest and Pueblo cultures. Through poetry, children's books, fiction, and nonfiction she broadened understanding of regional culture. She received multiple literary honors and is regarded as an important figure in New Mexico's literary and photographic history.

Archives

  • Nancy Wood Literary Trust

Quotes

  • "It was 180 degrees from what I knew growing up. Nature was the center. I began to think in those terms–here was not just a 'religion' but a whole way of being and seeing."
    Source: Santa Fe New Mexican (quoted article), 2013 (2013)

Trivia

  • Started writing at age 14 for the Beachcomber newspaper on Long Beach Island.
  • Her first book was a collaboration with husband Myron Wood and was published by their own press.
  • Collaborated long-term with illustrator Frank Howell until his death in 1997.
  • Married three times (Oscar Dull, Myron Wood, John Brittingham) and had four children.
  • Later in life she worked as a photographer and published the photographic retrospective 'Eye of the West.'