Joan Houlihan
Encyclopedia
Joan Houlihan is an American
poet. She is the author of three books, most recently The Us (Tupelo Press
, 2009), and The Mending Worm (New Issues Press
), winner of the 2005 Green Rose Prize in Poetry. She has written a series of essays on contemporary American poetry called The Boston Comment, which drew a great deal of attention for their criticism of both traditional and avant garde poetry, occasioning responses from Fred Moramarco of Poetry International and wide range of letters from the poetry community both favorable and critical Houlihan is a staff reviewer for Contemporary Poetry Review.
Her work has appeared in many journals and magazines, including Gulf Coast, Harvard Review, Gettysburg Review, Poetry International, Fulcrum, Pleiades, Passages North, Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Arts, VOLT, Poetry and the Boston Review
.
The Mending Worm has been described by Lucie Brock-Broido
as “a book of stunning accomplishment" and by Frederick Marchant as one that "gives us poems that in their art and authenticity
render whole that which has been shattered." Ellen Wehle, poetry editor of AGNI magazine and poetry reviewer, states: "Writers are told 'make it fresh, make it new.' In The Mending Worm it's all new. Houlihan wields language like a weapon, carving out lines that are stingingly precise.”
Houlihan was born and raised in Massachusetts and received her BA and MA from University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She is founder of the Concord Poetry Center
in Concord, Massachusetts
and of the Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference
in Colrain, Massachusetts
. She is also on the faculty of Lesley University’s low-residency M.F.A. in Creative Writing program.
Multi-Genre Collections
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet. She is the author of three books, most recently The Us (Tupelo Press
Tupelo Press
Tupelo Press is an American not-for-profit literary press founded in 1999. It produced its first titles in 2001, publishing poetry, fiction and non-fiction...
, 2009), and The Mending Worm (New Issues Press
New Issues Press
New Issues Press is a literary press associated with Western Michigan University. It was founded by poet and Western Michigan University professor Herbert S. Scott...
), winner of the 2005 Green Rose Prize in Poetry. She has written a series of essays on contemporary American poetry called The Boston Comment, which drew a great deal of attention for their criticism of both traditional and avant garde poetry, occasioning responses from Fred Moramarco of Poetry International and wide range of letters from the poetry community both favorable and critical Houlihan is a staff reviewer for Contemporary Poetry Review.
Her work has appeared in many journals and magazines, including Gulf Coast, Harvard Review, Gettysburg Review, Poetry International, Fulcrum, Pleiades, Passages North, Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Arts, VOLT, Poetry and the Boston Review
Boston Review
Boston Review is a bimonthly American political and literary magazine. The magazine covers, specifically, political debates, literature, and poetry...
.
The Mending Worm has been described by Lucie Brock-Broido
Lucie Brock-Broido
Lucie Brock-Broido is the author of three collections of poetry. She has received many honors, including the Witter-Bynner prize of Poetry from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Harvard Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Award, the Harvard-Danforth Award for Distinction in Teaching, the Jerome J...
as “a book of stunning accomplishment" and by Frederick Marchant as one that "gives us poems that in their art and authenticity
Authenticity in art
Authenticity in art has a variety of meanings related to different ways in which a work of art or an artistic performance may be considered authentic.Denis Dutton distinguishes between nominal authenticity and expressive authenticity....
render whole that which has been shattered." Ellen Wehle, poetry editor of AGNI magazine and poetry reviewer, states: "Writers are told 'make it fresh, make it new.' In The Mending Worm it's all new. Houlihan wields language like a weapon, carving out lines that are stingingly precise.”
Houlihan was born and raised in Massachusetts and received her BA and MA from University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She is founder of the Concord Poetry Center
Concord Poetry Center
The Concord Poetry Center is a non-profit organization founded in March, 2004, by poet and critic Joan Houlihan. Located at the Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts, in Concord, Massachusetts, the Concord Poetry Center was established as an independent organization in MetroWest and the Greater...
in Concord, Massachusetts
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
and of the Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference
Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference
The Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference is the only writers' conference focused entirely on book-length poetry manuscripts. Founded by poet Joan Houlihan, the conference is held 4-5 times a year in Colrain, Massachusetts and consists of manuscript review and analysis by workshop leaders including...
in Colrain, Massachusetts
Colrain, Massachusetts
Colrain is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,813 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :Colrain was first settled in 1735 as "Boston Township No...
. She is also on the faculty of Lesley University’s low-residency M.F.A. in Creative Writing program.
Published works
Full-Length Poetry Collections- The Us (Tupelo Press, September, 2009)
- The Mending Worm (New Issues Press, 2006)
Multi-Genre Collections
- Hand-Held Executions: Poems & Essays (ISBN 978-0615284217)
Anthologies
- The Iowa Anthology of New American Poetries (University of Iowa Press, 2005)
- An Anthology of Irish-American Poetry, 18th Century to Present (University of Notre Dame, 2006).