Christopher Bakken

Title: Professor of English
Department: English
Research Fields of Interest: Creative Writing: Poetry, Nonfiction
Degrees: B.A., University of Wisconsin, Madison; M.F.A., Columbia University; Ph.D., The University of Houston

Contact Info:
Email: cbakken@allegheny.edu
Phone: (814) 332-4338
Website: www.christopherbakken.com

Office Location: Odd Fellows 220

Office Hours (Spring ’24): Mondays & Wednesdays 9:15-10:45am; Tuesdays & Thursdays 11:00am-12:30pm

Courses (Spring ’24)
ENGL 206 – Writing Poetry
ENGL 302 – Forms of Poetry

Publications:

Books

  • Bakken, Christopher. Eternity & Oranges.  Pitt Poetry Series.  University of Pittsburgh Press. 2016.
  • Bakken, Christopher.  Honey, Olives, Octopus: Adventures at the Greek Table.  University of California Press. 2013.
  • Bakken, Christopher. After Greece. Truman State University Press, 2001.
  • Bakken, Christopher. Goat Funeral. Sheep Meadow Press, 2006.
  • Bakken, Christopher. Co-Translator.  The Lions’ Gate: Selected Poems of Titos Patrikios. Truman State University Press, 2006.

Journals, Anthologies, & Textbooks

  • Poetry, essays, and translations recently published or forthcoming in The Paris Review, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, Southwest Review, The Hudson Review, Orion, Ploughshares, Agni, The Iowa Review, Parnassus: Poetry in Review, The Wall Street Journal, Contemporary Poetry ReviewThe Gettysburg Review, Teachers & Writers Magazine, and elsewhere.
  • Anthologies and textbooks: The Eloquent Poem; New European Poetry (editor for Greece and Cyprus); Kindled Terraces: American Poets in Greece, Under the Rock Umbrella: Contemporary American Poetry from 1951-1977, Structure and Surprise: Engaging Poetic Turns; and Writing Poetry: Creative and Critical Approaches.

Selected
Conference Papers and Readings
  • International Literary Festival: Tinos, Greece. Featured Presenter. July, 2022
  • “Notes from a Hellenized Barbarian: Cavafy, Karyotakis, Ristos, Patrikios.” Problematics Seminar. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. December, 2021.
  • 7th World Poetry Festival. Athens, Greece. 2021
  •  Stadler Poetry Center, Bucknell University, 2019
  • Carleton College. “A Hellenized Barbarian Raids the Greek Table.” February, 2019.
  • “Taking Stock and Talking Back.” Invited Talk for “Why Read? The Role of the Book in the 21st Century.” Symposium sponsored by the Hellenic Author’s Society. Athens, Greece. October, 2018.
  • Featured Presenter. Patrick Leigh Fermor: To Greece with Love.  University of Copenhagen. January, 2018.
  • Special Session: “Writing “Greece”: Contemporary Writing From, To, and About the Hellenic Space.” Modern Greek Studies Association Symposium.  Stockton University, November, 2017.
  • “Greece in Writing: Christopher Bakken & Natalie Bakopoulos.”  Special Session of the Modern Greek Studies Association Symposium.  Bloomington, IN.   November 2013.
  • PEN World Voices Festival, New York. May, 2009.
  • “The National Undergraduate Literary Magazine: Quality, Visibility, and Stability.” AWP Conference. Chicago. (February, 2009)
  • “Editing the Wide-Scope Anthology: A Panel of New European Poets Editors.” ALTA (American Literary Translators Association) Conference. Minneapolis. (October, 2008)
  • The Writers Union of Romania International Writers’ Festival and Colloquium 2008. Neptun, Romania. (June, 2008)
  • University of Transylvania: Brasov, Romania. (April, 2008)
  • Associated Writing Program conference (reading with John Ashbery & Stanley Moss). New York. (February, 2008)
  • Whittier College (with Bob Hicok and Alan Michael Parker). (March, 2007)
  • “The Ironic Structure.” Panel presentation. Associated Writing Programs Conference. Atlanta. (March, 2007)

Awards

  • Fulbright Scholar | Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (2021-22)
  • Collins Prize for “Theology at Black Earth Creek,” Birmingham Poetry Review (2020)
  • Finalist UNT Rilke Prize, 2018
  • McGinnis Richie Award for Nonfiction, Essay. Southwest Review. (2011)
  • Texas Institute of Letters | Helen C. Smith Memorial Award for Best Book of Poetry for 2006 (for Goat Funeral): Winner. (2007)
  • Texas Institute of Letters | Soeurette Diehl Fraser Award for Best Translation of a Book for 2006 (for The Lions’ Gate): Finalist. (2007)
  • Fulbright Fellowship in American Studies | University of Bucharest, Romania. (2007)
  • Willis Barnstone Translation Prize. (2005)
  • International Writers’ and Translators’ Center of Rhodes: Residency. (2004)
  • The T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry | Truman State University Press. (2001)
  • Chef on a Shoestring |CBS Saturday Morning Early Show. (2001)

Recent Faculty News & Publications:

Bakken’s poem “Driving the Beast” at Academy of American Poets: https://poets.org/poem/driving-beast

Bakken’s poem “Lesvos” at Academy of American Poet: https://poets.org/poem/lesvos

Bakken’s poem “Goat Theology” at Plume Poetry.  https://plumepoetry.com/19783-2/

Bakken’s poem “Exile in a Thrift Store Landscape” at Blackbird: https://blackbird.vcu.edu/v18n2/poetry/bakken-c/exile-page.shtml?fbclid=IwAR3LcbPSXygLXmHDLX1Rx7jtmShXxiG-EvMrCBoSiKPvblCNQhfl4Xjvrxw

Christopher Bakken discusses his poem “Confession,” at The Missouri Review https://www.missourireview.com/archives/christopher-bakken-confession/

Christopher Bakken’s Honey, Olives, Octopus reviewed in the Wall Street Journal:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324020504578396493499646144

An Interview with Christopher Bakken at Huff Post:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/honey-olives-octopus_b_3923923