Poet Maurice Kenny going on Walk of Fame
SARANAC LAKE — Mohawk poet Maurice Kenny will be the next inductee to this village’s Walk of Fame.
A bronze plaque, featuring Kenny’s name and titles, will be unveiled at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Saranac Lake Free Library, 109 Main St.
Kenny was hailed for his contributions to American — particularly Native American — literature as a poet, essayist, writer of short stories, critic, teacher and editor/publisher. During a career that spanned six decades, he published more than 30 books, was twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and received the American Book Award in 1984 for “The Mama Poems.” Kenny, who lived in Saranac Lake and taught at North Country Community College and Paul Smith’s College as well as other schools, died in 2016 at the age of 87.
Village Mayor Clyde Rabideau will officiate the ceremony. Some of Kenny’s friends and colleagues will also be on hand to offer remarks and remembrances.
The Saranac Lake Walk of Fame was initiated in 2010 to honor “residents or former residents that have distinguished themselves positively on a national or international level in the arts, sciences, entertainment, sports, commerce, philanthropy and government.”
Other plaques unveiled since 2010 include the names of Billy Demong, E.L. Trudeau. Garry Trudeau, Rene Joyeuse, Albert Einstein, Robert Louis Stevenson, Christy Mathewson, Larry Doyle, Herb Clark, Chris Mazdzer, Andrea Kilbourne-Hill and Bela Bartok.
Underwriting opportunities are available for purchasing plaques for the remaining members of the Walk of Fame by contacting the mayor’s office at 518-891-4150.