Karla Huston is an American poet in
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton ( mez, Ahkōnemeh)
is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. One of the Fox Cities, it is situated on the Fox River, southwest of Green Bay and north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the c ...
. She was the
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...
of Wisconsin, serving a two-year term from 2017 to 2018.
Huston is the author of eleven chapbooks of poems, the latest ''Grief Bone'', (Five Oaks Press), and a full collection ''A Theory of Lipstick'' (Main Street Rag Publications), Huston's work has garnered many awards, including a
Pushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...
for the poem "Theory of Lipstick." She received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the
Wisconsin Library Association The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA), is a Wisconsin, United States non-profit,
professional membership organization which has existed since 1891. WLA represents nearly 2000 members statewide --- primarily librarians and library staff from scho ...
for her collection of the same title. Her writing has earned residencies at Ragdale Foundation as well as the
Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. Her chapbook, ''Flight Patterns'' won the Main Street Rag Chapbook Contest in 2003. Huston has also been awarded three Jade Rings (one for fiction, two for poetry) from Wisconsin Writers Association (WWA).
Life and education
Huston was born February 11, 1949 in
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...
, raised in
West Salem, Wisconsin
West Salem is a village in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States, along the La Crosse River. It is part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,799 as of the 2010 Census.
History
West Salem was pl ...
. She attended the
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in (English) education in 1993.
Huston earned her Master of Arts/ Creative Writing from the
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 2003. She taught creative writing and literature at Neenah High School,
Neenah, Wisconsin
Neenah () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, in the north central United States. It is situated on the banks of Lake Winnebago, Little Lake Butte des Morts, and the Fox River, approximately forty miles (60 km) southwest of Green ...
, from 1994 to 2009.
Books
* ''A Halo of Watchful Eyes'' (Wolf Angel Press (defunct), 1997)
* ''Pencil Test'' (Cassandra Press (defunct), 2002)
* ''Flight Patterns'' (Main Street Rag Publications, 2003)
* ''Virgins on the Rocks'' (Parallel Press, 2004)
* ''Catch and Release'' (Marsh River Editions, 2005)
* ''An Inventory of Lost Things'' (Centennial Press,2009)
* ''Split Personality'' Karla Huston and
Cathryn Cofell
Cathryn is a feminine given name. It is a variant of Katherine. Cathryn may refer to:
* Cathryn Bradshaw, (Born 1964), English actress
* Cathryn Carson, American historian of science
* Cathryn Damon (1930–1987), American actress
* Cathryn Hankla ...
(Sunny Outside, 2012)
* ''A Theory of Lipstick'' (Main Street Rag Publications, 2013)
* ''Outside of a Dog'' (Dancing Girl Press, 2013)
* ''Grief Bone'' (Five Oaks Press, 2017)
Anthologies
* ''Between the Sheets'' Karla Huston, Cathryn Cofell,
Bruce Dethlefsen
Bruce Dethlefsen is an American poet and teacher of poetry. He was Wisconsin Poet Laureate for 2011–2012, having been appointed by Governor James Doyle. He also served as secretary for the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets for six years.
Early li ...
, Annette Grunseth, Michael Koehler, Carrie Rellis, and Peter Sherrill (Perma Press (defunct), 2002)
Awards and prizes
* ''Flight Patterns'', winner of the Main Street Rag Chapbook Contest: 2003
* Pushcart, Best of the Small Presses: 2011
* A Theory of Lipstick, Wisconsin Library Association Outstanding Achievement Award
* Wisconsin Writers Association, Jade Ring Award, poetry 2000, 2011, fiction 1998
References
External links
* Karla Huston's website
Future Home of a New Site with WebHero* Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
Welcome to Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission , Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission* Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission
Welcome to Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission , Wisconsin Poet Laureate Commission* Wisconsin Writers Association
Wisconsin Writers Association - Home* Wisconsin Library Association
WLA Home Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huston, Karla
1949 births
Poets Laureate of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh alumni
American women poets
Living people
21st-century American poets
People from Appleton, Wisconsin
People from La Crosse, Wisconsin
People from West Salem, Wisconsin
21st-century American women writers