English

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 233

Publications:

Books

• Bakken, Christopher. Driving the Beast. Sewanee Poetry Series. Louisiana State University Press, 2025.
• 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 Review, The Gettysburg Review, Teachers & Writers Magazine, and elsewhere.
• Anthologies and textbooks: Keystone Poetry: Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania; Unnatural Disasters: Tales of enchantment, danger, and survival from Orion magazine; Braving the Body, 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.

• Sewanee in Print, Sewanee, TN , 2025
• 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.
• 7^th 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 21^st 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)

Sample Faculty Work Online:

• Bakken’s poem “For the Dead Union“ at Plume.
• Bakken’s poem “Driving the Beast” at Academy of American Poets.
• Bakken’s poem “Lesvos” at Academy of American Poet.
• Bakken’s poem “Goat Theology” at Plume Poetr
• Bakken’s poem “Exile in a Thrift Store Landscape” at Blackbird.
• Christopher Bakken discusses his poem “Confession” at The Missouri Review.
• Christopher Bakken’s Honey, Olives, Octopus reviewed in the Wall Street Journal.
• An interview with Christopher Bakken at Huff Post.