Suzanne Rancourt
Suzanne Rancourt is a Native American poet and veteran of both the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army.[1] She was born and raised in west central Maine[2] and is an elder of the Abenaki Bear Clan.[3] She has written a collection of poetry called Billboard in the Clouds, which won the Native Writers' Circle of the Americas First Book Award in 2001, and some of her other work also appears in The Journal of Military Experience, Volume II. Her work has also been published in the literary journals Callaloo and The Cimarron Review, as well as many other anthologies.[4]
Rancourt has a Masters of Fine Arts in Poetry from Vermont College and a Master of Science in Educational Psychology from University at Albany, SUNY.[1] She is currently living in Hadley, New York.[5] Rancourt has coordinated Pow wows,[6] and held workshops on topics including drum making.[3] She has worked as a counselor for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in New York[7] and has also worked as a parent education specialist for a Head Start Program in the northern part of the state.[1] Among other things, Rancourt is also a singer/songwriter, a personal fitness trainer, a percussionist, an herbal educator, and a dance instructor.[1]
On Billboard in the Clouds
Suzanne Rancourt's poetry in Billboard in the Clouds addresses at least three themes. Poems about childhood include descriptions of nature, her parents, and grandparents. Ancestral poems cover stories Rancourt has heard conveying deep connections between her people and their land. Finally, poems about contemporary life cover such topics as Rancourt's life with her son, her current home, and her military experience. Rancourt's poems have been praised for their vivid imagery and simple, elegant style.
Reviews
- Archuleta, Elizabeth (May–Jun 2006). "Billboard In The Clouds (review)". World Literature Today 80 (3). p. 74.
- Birns, Nicholas (Mar–Apr 2005). "The Other East Coast". American Book Review 26 (3). pp. 17–20.
- Kennedy, Pat (2008). "Billboard in the Clouds (review)". Studies in American Indian Literatures 20 (2). pp. 117–119.
Publications
- Rancourt, Suzanne (2001). "Whose Mouth Do I Speak With?". In Clark, Carol. Poetry in Three Dimensions: Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking Through Poetry. Book 2. Educators Pub Service. p. 54. ISBN 0838823688.
- Rancourt, Suzanne S. (2004). Billboard in the Clouds. Willimantic, CT: Curbstone Books. ISBN 1-931896-08-9.
- Rancourt, Suzanne (2006). "Fanning Fire". Saranac Review 2: 66–67.
- Rancourt, Suzanne (2006). "Singing Across the River". Saranac Review 2: 66–67.
- Rancourt, Suzanne (2012). "Ghost Nets, The Hunt, Tsunami Conflict, Visions of Clara, and Throwing Stars". The Journal of Military Experience 2 (2).
- Rancourt, Suzanne (November 12, 2012). "Rear Support". O-Dark-Thirty.
- Rancourt, Suzanne (2012). "When the Wind Stops, Ghost Nets, Not Tonight, and The Edge". Ginosko Literary Journal 11: 22–26. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Erdrich, Heid Ellen; Tohe, Laura, eds. (2002). Sister Nations: Native American Women Writers on Community. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 0-87351-428-9.
- ↑ Archuleta, Elizabeth (May–Jun 2006). "Billboard in the Clouds (review)". World Literature Today 80 (3): 74. doi:10.2307/40159110.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Birthing a Drum, with Suzanne Rancourt, Abenaki Bear Clan Elder". HeartbeatCollective.org. Heartbeat Collective. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
- ↑ "Suzanne Rancourt". PW.org. Poets & Writers. Retrieved 2015-03-24.
- ↑ Birns, Nicholas (Mar–Apr 2005). "The Other East Coast". American Book Review 26 (3): 17–20.
- ↑ Keyser, Tom (July 18, 2010). "Even in the heat, celebration: Native American heritage group holds powwow at sweltering Route 5S site". Times Union (Albany, NY).
- ↑ Rancourt, Suzanne (2004). Billboard in the Clouds. Willimantic, CT: Curbstone Books. p. 68. ISBN 1-931896-089.