Coker Alum Named in the 2014 Class of MacArthur Fellows
September 17, 2014
HARTSVILLE, SC – Poet and Coker College alum Terrance Hayes has won one of the most prestigious individual development grants from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
“It is an honor to witness the incredible achievements of Terrance Hayes,” said Coker College President Robert Wyatt. “His innovation and creativity in poetic expression demonstrates the necessity to think outside the box and break new ground.”
Along with 20 other individuals selected from diverse fields and across multiple disciplines, Hayes was recognized for his track record of achievement as well as potential for significant contributions in the future. Specifically, Hayes received recognition for his contributions toward refreshing traditional templates to create distinctive and innovative work in poetry.
Hayes, a native of Columbia, S.C., graduated in 1994 from Coker with a bachelor of arts in english. He was also recognized as an Academic All-American for the men’s basketball team. Hayes received his master of fine arts in 1997 from the University of Pittsburgh. He is currently a professor of writing at the University of Pittsburgh.
Hayes won the 2010 National Book Award for Poetry for “Lighthead,” his fourth collection of poetic works. Hayes’ other collections of poetry have garnered him a variety of honors including a Whiting Writers Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His published works include “Muscular Music” (Tia Chucha Press, 1999), “Hip Logic” (Penguin 2002) and “Wind In a Box” (Penguin 2006). “How To Be Drawn,” his new collection of poems, is forthcoming from Penguin in 2015.
The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society. More information is at www.macfound.org.
Release written by media relations coordinator Elizabeth McCarley.
