Photo by Daniel Miller
Bio
Chera Hammons is a winner of the 2017 PEN Southwest Book Award through PEN Texas and the 2020 Helen C. Smith Memorial Award through the Texas Institute of Letters. She holds an MFA from Goddard College and recently served as Writer-in-Residence at West Texas A&M University. Her work appears in Beloit Poetry Journal, Baltimore Review, Foundry, The Penn Review, Poetry, The Sun, The Texas Observer, Tupelo Quarterly, Valparaiso Poetry Review, and elsewhere. Her poetry chapbook Amaranthine Hour received the 2012 Jacar Press Chapbook Award. Poetry collections include Recycled Explosions, The Traveler's Guide to Bomb City, and Maps of Injury. Her debut novel, Monarchs of the Northeast Kingdom, is available through Torrey House Press. She is a member of the editorial board of poetry journal One. She often writes about chronic illness and invisible disability, horses, and the unique landscape of the Texas panhandle, where she resides.
Awards
Texas Association of Creative Writing Teachers:
2001, Poetry, Second Place
Texas Institute of Letters:
2016, Bob Bush Memorial Award for Poetry, Finalist
2020, Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for Best Book of Poetry
New England Poetry Club:
2011, Barbara Bradley Poetry Award
2012, Der-Hovanessian Translation Award, Honorable Mention
2012 Jacar Press Chapbook Competition
Spark Creative Anthologies:
2014, Contest Six: "You Are Here", Honorable Mention
Blue Bonnet Poetry Review:
2015, Poetry Contest Finalist
Common Good Books Poetry Contest (Garrison Keillor): "Gratitude"
2016, Second Place
Emily Stauffer Poetry Prize, Franklin College:
2017, First Place
PEN Texas:
2017, Southwest Book Award (Poetry)
The Lascaux Review:
2017, Lascaux Prize in Collected Poetry, Finalist
Best of the Net nominations:
2018, "The Capacity for Malignancy is Ancient"
2019, "Trace Elements"
2019 Joy Bale Boone Poetry Prize, Third Place and Honorable Mention
2019 Pushcart nominee for "Locoweed" (San Pedro River Review, nominated by a previous Pushcart recipient)
Contact
Email Chera directly to request books, a poetry reading or writing workshop, or interviews. Interested parties may also connect with her "socially" on Facebook, LinkedIn, and the Poets & Writers directory.
Chera Hammons is a winner of the 2017 PEN Southwest Book Award through PEN Texas and the 2020 Helen C. Smith Memorial Award through the Texas Institute of Letters. She holds an MFA from Goddard College and recently served as Writer-in-Residence at West Texas A&M University. Her work appears in Beloit Poetry Journal, Baltimore Review, Foundry, The Penn Review, Poetry, The Sun, The Texas Observer, Tupelo Quarterly, Valparaiso Poetry Review, and elsewhere. Her poetry chapbook Amaranthine Hour received the 2012 Jacar Press Chapbook Award. Poetry collections include Recycled Explosions, The Traveler's Guide to Bomb City, and Maps of Injury. Her debut novel, Monarchs of the Northeast Kingdom, is available through Torrey House Press. She is a member of the editorial board of poetry journal One. She often writes about chronic illness and invisible disability, horses, and the unique landscape of the Texas panhandle, where she resides.
Awards
Texas Association of Creative Writing Teachers:
2001, Poetry, Second Place
Texas Institute of Letters:
2016, Bob Bush Memorial Award for Poetry, Finalist
2020, Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for Best Book of Poetry
New England Poetry Club:
2011, Barbara Bradley Poetry Award
2012, Der-Hovanessian Translation Award, Honorable Mention
2012 Jacar Press Chapbook Competition
Spark Creative Anthologies:
2014, Contest Six: "You Are Here", Honorable Mention
Blue Bonnet Poetry Review:
2015, Poetry Contest Finalist
Common Good Books Poetry Contest (Garrison Keillor): "Gratitude"
2016, Second Place
Emily Stauffer Poetry Prize, Franklin College:
2017, First Place
PEN Texas:
2017, Southwest Book Award (Poetry)
The Lascaux Review:
2017, Lascaux Prize in Collected Poetry, Finalist
Best of the Net nominations:
2018, "The Capacity for Malignancy is Ancient"
2019, "Trace Elements"
2019 Joy Bale Boone Poetry Prize, Third Place and Honorable Mention
2019 Pushcart nominee for "Locoweed" (San Pedro River Review, nominated by a previous Pushcart recipient)
Contact
Email Chera directly to request books, a poetry reading or writing workshop, or interviews. Interested parties may also connect with her "socially" on Facebook, LinkedIn, and the Poets & Writers directory.