b: william bearhart
1979 –
2020
b: william bearhart is a direct descendent of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin. A graduate of the Lo-Rez MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts, bearhart’s work appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including When the Light of the World was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through (W. W. Norton, 2020).
Of his work, writer Ruby Hansen Murray says, “Reading Bryan’s work is heart opening. He writes our private vulnerabilities onto the page.” Poet Natalie Diaz has written of bearhart, “Yes, darkness, bearhart’s poems say, but also and always light.”
bearhart worked as a poker dealer in a small Wisconsin casino. He died in August, 2020.