The Knoxville News Sentinel reported on news that English professor Joy Harjo was recently recognized for her work.
Harjo has been awarded the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, a $100,000 prize that annually recognizes the work of a living American poet for outstanding lifetime accomplishments. She will be presented with the award from the Poetry Foundation in a ceremony on June 12.
“I am deeply honored to be the recipient of such a recognition,” Harjo said in UT’s original announcement. “There are so many who are a part of me making it to where I am on this poetry road. I’ve had so many teachers. Some were formal educators, others artists, family members, elements, animals, plants and others. The process of becoming never ends. Thank you.”
Harjo also holds the Chair of Excellence in the UT Department of English, a title reserved for scholars and writers of the highest distinction.