Nathan Brown (poet)

{{Infobox writer

| name = Nathan Brown

| image = Nathan Brown 2013.jpg

| caption = Brown in 2013

| occupation = Poet, author, singer-songwriter

| awards = 2009 Oklahoma Book Award

| website = {{URL|www.brownlines.com/}}

}}

Nathan Brown is an author, singer-songwriter, and award-winning poet who served as the Oklahoma Poet Laureate from 2013 to 2014.{{cite news |title=Gov. Mary Fallin appoints Nathan Brown as Oklahoma poet laureate |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/article/3739205/gov-mary-fallin-appoints-nathan-brown-as-oklahoma-poet-laureate |access-date=June 19, 2021 |agency=The Oklahoman |date=December 23, 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/poets/oklahoma.html|title=Oklahoma – State Poet Laureate (State Poets Laureate of the United States, Main Reading Room, Library of Congress)|website=Loc.gov|accessdate=30 October 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=PO002|title=Poets Laureate – The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|website=Okhistory.org|accessdate=30 October 2018}}

Life

Nathan Brown was born in Longview, Texas{{cite news |last1=Isaac |first1=Jimmy Daniel |title=Noted poet, local native appears here tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/545697064/?terms=%22Nathan%20Brown%22%20poet&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=Longview News Journal |date=20 March 2019}} on March 16, 1965.{{Cite book|title=The Oklahoma Poets Laureate : a Sourcebook, History, and Anthology|last=Holliday|first=Shawn|publisher=Mongrel Empire Press|others=Holliday, Shawn, 1969–, Barnes, Jim, 1933–, Brown, Nathan L. (Nathan Lee), 1965–, Davis, Delbert, 1883–1965., Fry, Maggie Culver, 1900–1998., Hamilton, Carol.|year=2015|isbn=9780990320432|edition= First|location=Norman, Oklahoma|pages=291–294|oclc=905700998}} His family moved to Norman, Oklahoma in January 1970, where he grew up and went to college. He was a professional musician in Nashville, Tennessee in his 20s and 30s.{{cite news |last1=Carter |first1=Richard |title=Duo to perform at art museum |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/779064473/?terms=%22Nathan%20Brown%22%20poet&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=Times Record News |date=21 October 2009}} He now hails from Wimberley, a small town in the Hill Country of Texas where he has lived with his wife, Ashley, since 2013.

Nathan holds an interdisciplinary PhD in English and Journalism{{cite news |last1=Kramer |first1=Ariana |title=Inspiring Words Taos Poetry Festival brings diversity and creative energy to audiences |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/424970047/?terms=%22Nathan%20brown%22%20poet%20workshop&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Taos News |date=26 May 2016}} with an emphasis in Creative and Professional Writing from the University of Oklahoma.{{cite news |title=Oklahoma Poet Laureate to present writing workshop in Miami |url=https://www.examiner-enterprise.com/article/20140402/LIFESTYLE/304029818 |access-date=June 19, 2021 |agency=Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise |date=April 2, 2014}}{{cite news |title=Poet Laureate Nathan Brown combines poetry and music |url=http://aggiecentral.com/2013/09/poet-laureate-nathan-brown-combines-poetry-music/ |access-date=June 19, 2021 |agency=Cameron University Aggie Central |date=September 21, 2013}} After teaching at OU for almost twenty years, he returned to the Austin area to be closer to the music scene there and tours the country full-time as a poet, musician, and workshop leader.{{cite news |title=Wordfest Anthology |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/985961529/?terms=%22Nathan%20Brown%22%20poet&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=Waco Tribune Herald |date=30 June 2018}} He has published 20 books, one of which (Two Tables Over) won the Oklahoma Book Award for Poetry, and another, Karma Crisis: New and Selected Poems, was a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize in New Jersey.{{cite web |title=Nathan Brown Poet |url=https://www.mezpress.com/nathanbrown |website=Mezcalita Press |access-date=June 19, 2021}}{{cite news |title=Accomplished poet Nathan Brown visits the Central Coast |url=https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/accomplished-poet-nathan-brown-visits-central-coast/80980/ |access-date=June 19, 2021 |agency=Paso Robles Daily News |date=March 15, 2018}} He is the founder of Mezcalita Press.

Brown has performed at numerous events including the Wordfest at the Waco Arts Cultural Fest, the Taos Poetry Festival, and the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival.{{cite news |last1=McDonnell |first1=Brandy |title=WoodyFest returns to Okemah with more than just music |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/451927273/?terms=%22Nathan%20brown%22%20poet%20%22Woody%20Guthrie%22&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=11 July 2014}} Brown has taught many writing workshops, including writing family stories at the Moore Library,{{cite news |title=Workshop set on family stories |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/452798447/?terms=%22Nathan%20brown%22%20poet%20workshop%20Moore%20library&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=3 July 2013}} the Writers Workshop at Norman Public Library,{{cite news |title=Writers Workshop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/452753774/?terms=Nathan%20brown%20poet%20workshop&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=26 April 2015}} and ekphrastic poetry at the Fred Jones Museum of Art,{{cite news |last1=Griswold |first1=Jennifer |title=Poet encourages students to find inspiration among museum walls |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/451664244/?terms=%22Nathan%20Brown%22%20poet&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=7 March 2009}} He was an artist-in-residence at the University of Central Oklahoma. He also began as the instructor for the Descanso Creatives intensive workshop series in 2018. The workshops are a "deep-dive" and culturally-immersive writing experience. Beginning in Tuscany, Italy, future workshops are planned for Ireland (2019) and France (2020).

Brown edited the 2014 anthology Oklahoma Poems and their Poets which includes poetry by several notable poets, including Joy Harjo, Jeanetta Calhoun Mish, Naomi Shihab Nye, Benjamin Myers, Quraysh Ali Lansana, Carol Hamilton, Francine Ringold, and N. Scott Momaday.Brown, Nathan, ed., "Table of Contents," Oklahoma Poems and their Poets Mezcalita Press. 2014. {{ISBN|9780983738329}} pp. iv-vi

Awards

Oklahoma Book Award for Two Tables Over (2009){{cite news |title=Poet to read at Depot |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/452510653/?terms=%22Nathan%20Brown%22%20poet&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=30 June 2010}}

Works

=Books=

100 Years (Mezcalita Press, 2019)
An Honest Day's Confession (Mezcalita Press, 2018)
An Honest Day's Prayer (Mezcalita Press, 2017)
An Honest Day's Ode (Mezcalita Press, 2017)
I Shouldn't Say... The Mostly Unedited Poems of Ezra E. Lipschitz (Mezcalita Press, 2017)
Arse Poetica: The Mostly Unedited Poems of Ezra E. Lipschitz (Mezcalita Press, 2017)
Apocalypse Soon: The Mostly Unedited Poems of Ezra E. Lipschitz (Mezcalita Press, 2017)
Don't Try, a collection of co-written poems with Jon Dee Graham (Mezcalita Press, 2016)
My Salvaged Heart: Story of a Cautious Courtship (Mezcalita Press, 2016)
To Sing Hallucinated: First Thoughts on Last Words (Mezcalita Press, 2015){{cite news |title=Poetry Month Celebrated with Speakers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/452753774/?terms=Nathan%20brown%20poet%20workshop&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=26 April 2015}}
Less Is More, More or Less (Mezcalita Press, 2013)
Karma Crisis:New and Selected Poems (Mezcalita Press, 2012)
Letters to the One-Armed Poet: A Memoir of Friendship, Loss, and Butternut Squash Ravioli (Village Books Press, 2011){{cite news |title=Author honors friend in book |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/452547296/?terms=%22Nathan%20Brown%22%20poet&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=7 July 2011}}
My Sideways Heart (Mongrel Empire Press, 2010)
Two Tables Over (Village Books Press, 2008)
Not Exactly Job (Mongrel Empire Press, 2007)
Ashes over the Southwest (Greystone Press, 2005)
Suffer the Little Voices (Greystone Press, 2005)
Hobson's Choice (Greystone Press, 2002)

=Anthologies=

==Editor==

Oklahoma Poems, and Their Poets Mezcalita Press. 2014. {{ISBN|978-0983738329}}{{cite news |title=Poetry reading set in Norman |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/452649391/?terms=%22Nathan%20brown%22%20%22poet%20laureate%22&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=14 May 2016}}{{cite news |title=Book Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/452531528/?terms=%22Nathan%20brown%22%20%22poet%20laureate%22&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=The Daily Oklahoman |date=2 August 2015}}

==Contributor==

Ain't Nobody That Can Sing Like Me: New Oklahoma Writing Mongrel Empire Press. 2010. {{ISBN|978-0980168495}}{{cite news |last1=Andrews |first1=Scott |title=Anthology sounds a lot like home |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/451927273/?terms=%22Nathan%20brown%22%20poet%20%22Woody%20Guthrie%22&match=1 |access-date=26 October 2023 |agency=Tulsa World |date=26 June 2011}}
Waco Cultural Arts Fest: WordFest Anthology 2017 CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. 2017. {{ISBN|9781973833277}}
The Working Man’s Hand: Celebrating Woody Guthrie Poems of Protest and Resistance Fine Dog Press. 2023. {{ISBN|9781955478168}}