Hearon Selected as Dartmouth Poet in Residence for ‘15-'16

On Apr. 30, 2015, The Frost Place and Dartmouth College announced that English instructor Todd L. Hearon would be the 2015 Dartmouth Poet in Residence at the Frost Place. Hearon, the 39th person to receive the title, is a prize-winning poet, dramatist and co-founder and artistic board member of The Bridge Theatre Company in Boston, in addition to being an instructor at the Academy.

“Good news in writing doesn’t come very often. The good news is few and the good words are few and far between.”

According to its website, the Frost Place is a “nonprofit arts organization and museum established to honor the legacy of Robert Frost and encourage the creation and appreciation of poems.”

Like his predecessors, which include notable names such as Major Jackson and Katha Pollitt, Hearon will be granted the time to work on his poetry as well as present his works at nearby locations such as Dartmouth College and the Abbie Greenleaf library in Franconia, NH.

Hearon applied to be selected as the 2014 Dartmouth Poet in Residence and was a finalist for the title; ultimately, however, he was not chosen. The Frost Place encouraged Hearon to apply again this year and, after making it to the final round of selection for the second time, he claimed the honor.

Upon discovering that he was chosen, Hearon was elated. “Good news in writing doesn’t come very often. The good news is few and the good words are few and far between,” he said. “So you’re always happy when something like this happens, and you get some sort of acceptance or some publication.”

Hearon’s colleagues at the Academy shared his positive feelings. Fellow English instructors Lundy Smith and Matthew Miller did so even before Hearon’s official selection was announced.

“[Hearon] told me in person, before it was announced,” Smith said. “I was elated for him. It’s an honor for him, it reflects on our English Department, and it’s a great reward for all the hard work he puts into his craft, his art.”

Miller echoed Smith’s admiration of Hearon’s work, especially appreciative because of a similar interest in poetry.

“We are both poets and the poetry world is a relatively small one, so I heard about the award before it was even officially announced through poets at the Frost Place,” Miller said. “It’s a great honor and long overdue for such a talented poet.”

Hearon has published two collections of poetry, “Strange Land” and “No Other Gods,” and is on the verge of finding a publisher for his most recent work.

Both books have been greatly appreciated by the poetry community, as “Strange Land” was awarded with the Crab Orchard Poetry Series in Poetry Open Competition Award. Likewise, “No Other Gods” was a finalist for the Lexi Rudnitsky/Editor’s Choice Award and is a recipient of both the May Swenson Poetry Award and the Vassar Miller Poetry Prize.

Miller elaborated on his congratulatory response to Hearon, explaining that he has noted a quality in Hearon’s writing for a long time.

“I have been a fan of Mr. Hearon’s work for years,” Miller said. “He is a wonderful writer, and I often read his work for inspiration. He is well regarded in the poetry world and just had his second book published, and I’ve no doubt book three is about to be picked up by a publisher.”

Hearon’s works attempt to distinguish themselves using a mix of descriptive imagery and language. In addition to the quality of the images, Smith said that Hearon’s poems often have deeper meanings that “make you get lost in them.”

“He’s a great writer, that’s the number one thing. He’s a wordsmith, he’s great with words and he’s a great teacher,” Smith continued. “I’m not surprised they chose him for this award. It’s a great honor for him to be able to move into the Frost Farm for the summer.”

Hearon uses a specific method, or mission, as he describes it, to write his poetry. He said that when he sits down to write or goes “playing around with words,” he lets the words take him wherever they want. An important aspect of this method involves starting without a preconceived topic or theme. Hearon believes that his method of letting the words drive each line and finding the meaning upon conclusion is different from most poets.

“[Poems do] end in a firmer understanding of what you were trying to explore or move through,” he said. “I love that process. That’s what keeps me writing. The process of discovery and the potential to move into a clearer thought and more sharply articulated feeling.”

Hearon is appreciated on campus for his kind nature in addition to his talent for writing.

“We are all lucky to have [Hearon] as a teacher, colleague and friend. It’s rare to find an artist of such talent, kindness, good humor and moral fortitude,” Miller said. “I tell you, it’s a better world for his being in it. And he’s a hell of a banjo player.”

Hearon’s poetry, along with the characteristics Miller listed, will be on full display at the Academy on May 26 at 7 p.m. in the library during a poetry reading. Hearon hopes that many students and faculty come hear selections from his new book, “No Other Gods”, which is available at the library, the Academy and Water Street bookstores.

Miller believes that this event will be a great chance for students to hear one of the “greatest American poets” present his poetry at no cost. He predicts that in the future, the Exeter community might look back and admire Hearon’s work as Pinkerton Academy’s community did to Robert Frost’s.

“I would not be surprised if one day many of you will read about him or see him on TV and say ‘wow, I had that guy as a teacher,’” he said. “The way students at Pinkerton Academy probably said years later about Robert Frost as they watched him recite ‘The Gift Outright’ at Kennedy’s inaugural address.”