ABERDEEN, S.D. – Kristen Brown, assistant professor of English at Northern State University, recently presented her research on the fiery poetics of Muscogee author Joy Harjo at the Western American Literature Conference in Oklahoma City.

Brown serves on the Executive Council for the international organization, which celebrated its fiftieth year. She also chairs their WLA and Charles Redd K-12 Teaching Award, which recognizes exceptional K-12 teaching plans related to the North American West. During the conference, she joined the Sustainability Committee, which works to offset the environmental impacts of conferences by raising funds for local environmental communities.

Brown’s most recent academic publication, a chapter in Race in the Multiethnic Literature Classroom—in which she explores pedagogical approaches to the works of Wahpeton writer-activist Charles Eastman/Ohiyesa—was recently awarded the South Atlantic Modern Language Association (SAMLA) Award for an edited collection.

Brown’s interdisciplinary teaching and research focus on amplifying Indigenous voices and encouraging collaborative environmental stewardship. She is currently co-editing a collection on land management in North American literature and culture for Routledge’s Environmental Humanities Series. 

For more information, contact Kristen Brown at kristen.brown@northern.edu.