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Individual Artist

Andrew Hudgins, poet, Columbus

Nominated By: John Bryan

Andrew Hudgins’ unparalleled excellence as a writer and teacher of writing have earned him legions of fans—students and readers alike. Students who encounter his poems fall in love with his voice and artistry, hope to be admitted to The Ohio State University’s MFA program so they can study with him, and use quotes from his poems as Facebook status updates—high praise indeed. But Hudgins’ true talent is for surprising readers—for saying just about anything and for expertly capturing moods many people have forgotten.

Since he moved to Ohio more than 25 years ago, Hudgins has published seven books of poetry and edited two. His books have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and have been lauded in the Washington Post and The New York Times. His second book, After the Lost War, won the Poets' Prize, and was called by the Denver Post ''One of the best narrative poems to appear in this country in more than 30 years.” This rather small representation of the positive critical reception Hudgins’ work has received indicates his high standing among critics, readers and peers.

Hudgins has mentored two generations of Ohio poets, both at the University of Cincinnati and at The Ohio State University, where he has served as Humanities Distinguished Professor in English since 2001. As the beneficiaries of his generous time and deep commitment to teaching, many of his undergraduate students have gone on to the best and most selective graduate programs in the country. Several have followed his lead, establishing strong, sometimes prize-winning careers as poets and professors. Warm, honest, and direct, Hudgins was described by fellow professor and friend Lee Abbott as “the poet you turn to when you need both a poke in the eye and a poke in the heart.”

The impact of Hudgins’ strong sense of service goes beyond his work with students. Hudgins was one of the first writers to join the National Endowment for the Arts' Project Homecoming, a program developed to encourage service men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to write about their experiences. He spoke with Marines and held workshops about writing their experiences. As a child of an Air Force lieutenant colonel, Hudgins was a hit—and a point of pride for his adopted home state of Ohio.

As an author and a teacher, as one who has dedicated his life to working with young writers, helping to foster a love for literature in future generations, it is difficult to imagine an artist who has accomplished more or brought more luster to the literary arts in Ohio.

Andrew Hudgins Video tribute (7:25 minutes)