To the Editor:

Maurice Kenny, a major voice in the North Country literary community, died in Saranac Lake, NY on April 16 at the age of 86.

Because he has such a vast list of publications, spread over a long career of writing, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how many books he has published. His works have received various accolades and awards. Some of his more outstanding recognitions: two of his collections of poems, Blackrobe and Between Two Rivers, were nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. The Mama Poems received the American Book Award, and he was recognized by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers with the Elder Achievement Award.

As impressive as his literary achievements are, Kenny will assuredly also be remembered as a dedicated and devoted teacher. Kenny held residencies at several notable institutions, and taught at Paul Smith’s College, North Country Community College, and SUNY Potsdam. He was exceptionally committed to his students.

Kenny was also involved in so many initiatives, literary, cultural, and social, that it too is impossible to tease out all the programs and events for which he is responsible. The Adirondack Center for Writing is especially grateful to him for being the catalyst that started our organization. He complained (loudly and frequently) that there was no funding for literature in the North Country, the New York State Council on the Arts heard him, and thus ACW was born. Without his voice, this area would not be the literary hub it has become.

Kenny will be missed by his students, his readers, the long list of writers he has helped along the way, and by the community. He was one of a kind, full of energy, wit, and was the hardest working poet in the North Country.

Baylee Annis

Adirondack Center for Writing