Native American writer Gordon Henry will be the featured presenter at a free Michigan Global Awareness Consortium event set for 6 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Oleson Center.
The performance will include traditional Anishinaabe stories and songs, as well as poetry and prose from Henry’s work. He will be joined by musicians Mike Gilmore and Mike Johnston. For some parts of the performance Henry will sing with a hand drum; for other parts he will recite his work, accompanied by Johnston and Gilmore.
Henry’s novel, The Light People, won an American Book Award in 1995, and his poetry, prose and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies throughout the U.S. and Europe. His work is informed by long time participation in ceremonies and by his personal reflections on Anishinaabe life, place and relations. His most recent book, The Failure of Certain Charms and Other Disparate Signs of Life, published in 2007, is a collection of poetry and prose, combining the languages and imagery of dreams, songs, ceremonies, cultural memories, autobiography and Native American tales.
Gordon Henry is an enrolled member of the White Earth Chippewa Tribe of Minnesota. He received an MA in creative writing from Michigan State University and a PhD in English from the University of North Dakota. He is professor of English at Michigan State University. Formerly director of creative writing for MSU’s English Department, he is currently director of MSU’s Native American Institute. He is also senior editor for the Native American Studies Series.
The Michigan Global Awareness Consortium consists of Bay College, Mid Michigan Community College, North Central Michigan College and Northwestern Michigan College. The MGAC is dedicated to bringing global issues, international opportunities and information to their campuses.