Writing Out Loud, 2011
“It's a challenge today to live as an indigenous person.”—Lance Henson
Lance Henson
(1944– )
Half Cheyenne and half Cajun French, Lance Henson points to an eclectic mix of other poets who have influenced his work, including Walt Whitman and N. Scott Momaday. However, it is his native upbringing that most informs his poetry, and he frequently incorporates Cheyenne phrases and culture in such collections as The Missing Bead (2009) and The Wolf Texts (2009).
The Missing Bead is subtitled Poems Written by a Dog Soldier in Exile, and Lance, a Vietnam veteran, lives in Italy. Many of his books are bilingual with Italian and English versions on facing pages.
Related listings: Joy Harjo and N. Scott Momaday
Did You Know...
Lance Henson attributes his penchant for hot, spicy food to his Cajun heritage.Getting Started with Lance Henson
Selected WorksA Cheyenne Sketchbook—Selected Poems 1970-1991, 1992
The Missing Bead—Poems Written by a Dog Soldier in Exile, 2009
The Wolf Texts, 2009
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