Whiting Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2006) Winner
Sherwin Bitsui
シャーウィン・ビッツイ
Shaawin Bittsui
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1975 （Holbrook, Arizona）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Navajo
- Residence History
- Whitecone, Arizona → Tucson, Arizona
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Poet, Painter, Academic
- Active Years
- 1999-
- Affiliations
- Institute of American Indian Arts (faculty), San Diego State University (creative writing faculty), University of Wyoming (visiting writer), University of Montana (visiting writer)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institute of American Indian Arts | Creative Writing Program | — | AFA | — | United States |
Institute of American Indian Arts
Creative Writing Program
Degree:
AFA
Country:
United States
AFA in Creative Writing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | American Book Award | Flood Song | — | Before Columbus Foundation | Winner |
| 2010 | PEN Open Book Award | Flood Song | — | PEN America | Winner |
| 2006 | Whiting Award | — | — | Whiting Foundation | Winner |
| 2012 | NACF Artist Fellowship in Literature | — | — | Native Arts and Cultures Foundation | Fellowship |
| 2000 | Witter Bynner Individual Poet Grant | — | — | Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry | Recipient |
| 1999 | Truman Capote Creative Writing Fellowship | — | — | Truman Capote Fellowship | Fellowship |
| — | Lannan Foundation Residency Fellowship | — | — | Lannan Foundation | Fellowship/Residency |
American Book Award
2010
Work:
Flood Song
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
Winner
PEN Open Book Award
2010
Work:
Flood Song
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
Winner
Whiting Award
2006
Organization:
Whiting Foundation
Result:
Winner
NACF Artist Fellowship in Literature
2012
Organization:
Native Arts and Cultures Foundation
Result:
Fellowship
Witter Bynner Individual Poet Grant
2000
Organization:
Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry
Result:
Recipient
Truman Capote Creative Writing Fellowship
1999
Organization:
Truman Capote Fellowship
Result:
Fellowship
Lannan Foundation Residency Fellowship
Organization:
Lannan Foundation
Result:
Fellowship/Residency
Awards & Nominations
American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 31 (2010) Winner
Lannan Literary Awards
1 appearances
Works
Major Works
Shapeshift
2003 PoetryEarly collection featuring poems that incorporate Navajo perspectives and linguistic sensibilities.
IdentityNatureLanguage
Flood Song
2009 PoetryPublished in 2009, this notable collection explores differences between Navajo and English concepts, memory, and recurring images of water.
WaterMemoryCross-linguistic perspectives
Dissolve
2018 PoetryA recent collection that questions boundaries of self and culture through deconstruction and reconstruction of imagery.
Dissolution and renewalCultural boundaries
Bibliography
- Shapeshift (2003)
- Flood Song (2009)
- Dissolve (2018)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyric, image-driven styleExperiments with sensibilities derived from Navajo language
- Recurring Motifs
- WaterLandscapeLanguage and translationMemory
Legacy
Recognized as an important contemporary Navajo American poet whose work explores intersections of language and culture; also influential as an educator mentoring new writers.
Trivia
- He belongs to the Todichʼíiʼnii (Bitter Water Clan) on his mother's side and Tłʼízíłání (Many Goats Clan) on his father's side.
- His collection Flood Song won the American Book Award in 2010.