ANNOUNCING THE 2024 MARY TALLMOUNTAIN AWARDS FOR LITERARY EXCELLENCE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
You are invited to a celebration of the 2024 TallMountain Awards
Thursday, October 10, 6 p.m. at the San Francisco Public Library (Lower Level)
hosted by San Francisco Poet Laureate Emerita, Kim Shuck
About Mary TallMountain and the Award
Mary TallMountain was a Native Alaskan poet and storyteller who lived in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco from the 1950s-1980s. Since her death in 1994, the TallMountain Circle has carried on her legacy according to her wishes, giving the TallMountain Award for literary excellence and creative community engagement to worthy individuals and groups. Renowned as she was in the Native literary community and beyond, Mary lovingly helped emerging writers to find their own voices, especially in the Tenderloin, Native American, and Native Alaskan communities. We honor those who inspire other marginalized people to raise their voice and tell their stories.
The 2024 Awardees
Anne Hanley, Writer Laureate Emerita of Alaska, who wrote a play called Winterbear, about the epidemic of youth suicides in Native Alaskan villages, based on the life of Native Athabaskan Sydney Huntington. The play was performed in over 50 communities in Alaska, including in the Native village of Nulato on the Yukon River where Mary was born. More recently, she wrote a performance piece called Coming Home, telling the story of Mary TallMountain’s life, using Mary’s own poetry, diaries, letters and other writings. It has been performed at Tanana Chiefs Conference 2024 Education Summit, Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center and at Denakkanaaga’s 2024 Native Elders Conference in Galena, Alaska. Currently she is working with Denakkanaaga to make the show accessible for community performances throughout Alaska.
Mary Jean Robertson (Cherokee), a Bay Area radio presence for 50 years, especially as the host of KPOO’s “Webworks: Voices of the Native Nations.” (Poor People’s Radio, 89.5 FM, Wednesdays at 6 p.m.). She is a tireless activist who has shown up for EVERYTHING for as long as any of us can remember. She was a dear friend of Mary TallMountain and has been one of the TallMountain Circle’s strongest supporters, helping us carry on Mary’s legacy by introducing us to some of our finest TallMountain awardees. Most recently, she has been writing a book called RadioActive Indians, documenting the history of Native American activism on the radio, and we extend our kudos and support for her to complete this monumental labor of love for the Native community and for all of us.
Jesse James Johnson is a queer Tejano/Chicano poet, community organizer and activist who has lived in the Tenderloin for over twenty-five years. He has been a long-time creative writing workshop leader with marginalized groups—young gay men of color, people with AIDS, the formerly incarcerated, and others. As Jesse puts it, “I am heir to a literary tradition that regards poetry as a force for social transformation.” A long-time board member of Hospitality House, founder of TLVotes and the Tenderloin People’s Congress, and a Faithful Fool, he has received countless awards for his community activism. We are honoring him specifically for his poetic excellence in his newly published—Mine is a Community of Misfits and Outlaws: Tenderloin Poetry— and for his wise and generous leadership in helping others find and share their voices.
This is a part of the Poet Jam Series Hosted by San Francisco Poet Laureate Emerita, Kim Shuck