Louisiana-born poet Jericho Brown receives 'genius' grant | Training

Jericho Brown, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who grew up in Shreveport and has ties to New Orleans, has been selected as a 2024 MacArthur Fellow, a prestigious award often referred to as a “genius fellowship.”

Brown earned a bachelor's degree from Dillard University, a historically black university in New Orleans, in 1998 and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of New Orleans in 2002. During his master's degree, he worked as a speechwriter for then-Mayor of New Orleans Marc Morial.

He also holds a doctorate in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston and currently teaches English and is director of the creative writing program at Emory University in Atlanta.

Brown won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and was a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award for Poetry for his poetry collection “The Tradition.” He has published three books of poetry and, in 2016, a poem entitled “Meditations in the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.”

“I’m from Louisiana,” he told the UN after winning the Pulitzer. “I know how to celebrate a big win!”

This year's MacArthur fellowship class, announced Tuesday, includes 22 people from a variety of disciplines, including evolutionary biologists, writers, a historian, a violinist, a filmmaker, an oceanographer and a disability rights activist.

There is no application for the fellowship, which is awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and includes a suggested award of $800,000 spread over five years.

The MacArthur Foundation praised Brown for his “openness and vulnerability about love, both filial and erotic.”

“In poems of astonishing lyrical beauty, Brown illuminates the experiences of marginalized people and demonstrates the relevance and value of formal experimentation,” the foundation wrote.

Connections to New Orleans

Mona Lisa Saloy, a former Louisiana Poet Laureate who teaches at Dillard University, said she served as a mentor to Brown during his time at the university when his poetic talent began to blossom. At Dillard, she said, he was encouraged to submit his work to competitions and the student magazine and to attend conferences; He also had dinner with famous poet Gwendolyn Brooks at Dooky Chase's Restaurant.

“I’m so proud of everything Jericho has accomplished,” she said. “We admire him and everything he continues to do. We cheer for him. We love him. We are forever proud of him.”

Dillard President Manque Guillory praised Brown for using his “words and voice” to “emphasize the importance of human connections amidst our individual yet collective identities.”

Brown also has close ties to the UNO, said Samuel Gladden, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Human Development. The U.N. awarded Brown an honorary doctorate in 2021 when he delivered an “unforgettable address” at the school’s commencement ceremony, Gladden said. Last year, Brown also met with students and faculty at UNO's Creative Writing Workshop and shared career tips.

“Dr. Brown is a gifted and thought-provoking poet and teacher who regularly supports and inspires students,” Gladden said. “We are all very proud of his connection to our institution and congratulate him on another honor.”