Zach Hively (born 1985) is a humorist, poet, creative nonfiction author, and publisher. His most recent works include the poetry collections Desert Apocrypha, recipient of the Reading the West Book Award for poetry,[1] Owl Poems, and Wild Expectations. He has written the Fool's Gold humor column since 2014, which has run in various alternative publications[2] in the US American West.

Biography edit

Hively was born on September 21, 1985, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His family remained in Albuquerque, where he was raised. He attended college at the University of New Mexico, graduating in 2007 with a degree in English-Philosophy. He undertook a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Olpe, Germany, after graduation.[3]

He then attended the graduate program in creative writing at Trinity College Dublin's Oscar Wilde Centre. He served as managing editor for the centre's anthology, A Thoroughly Good Blue[4] and graduated with an MPhil in Creative Writing in 2013.

Hively then relocated to Durango, Colorado, where he began writing for the Durango Telegraph as a recurring columnist and reporter. He also contributed to Edible Southwest Colorado,[5] Four Corners Free Press,[6] and Durango Magazine.[7]

Writing edit

Hively is an author and artist, known for writing, poetry, and nonfiction. His ongoing column Fool's Gold has appeared in numerous alternative newspapers, including the Durango Telegraph,[8] the New Mexico Mercury,[9] Four Corners Free Press,[10] and the KC Post. The column has received several nods from the Society of Professional Journalists' Top of the Rockies awards, a regional, multi-platform contest for reporters and news organizations.[11] Fool's Gold earned first place in the Personal/Humor Column category in 2022,[12] 2018,[13] and 2017,[14] and third place in 2021,[15] 2016,[16] and 2018. [13] Currently, Fool's Gold publishes monthly in the Durango Telegraph and Four Corners Free Press.

Hively's poetry has been published both internationally and regionally, in publications like Banshee,[17] Trickster,[18] and Conceptions Southwest.[19] His first collection, Wild Expectations, was published in 2020. It is a collaboration between Hively and photographer Magdalena Lily McCarson, pairing the former's poetry with the latter's black and white photography in conversation. The book was listed as a finalist in the Poetry and Art categories in the 2021 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards.[20]

His follow-up collection, Desert Apocrypha, received the 32nd annual Reading the West Book Award for poetry,[1] after being shortlisted by member bookstores in the Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association.[21]

Owl Poems, published in 2022, was shortlisted for the 33rd annual Reading the West Book Award.[22]

Hively has published a number of shorter works as well, including the foreword to V. B. Price's Innocence Regained: Christmas Poems[23] and several short stories.

Hively is the recipient of a 2021 New Mexico Writers grant to support work on a forthcoming creative nonfiction project.[24] He also earned a Maxwell Medallion from the Dog Writers Association of America in 2018 for his episode on The Raven Narratives podcast, "The Doggie Bucket List."[25]

In addition, Hively is also a singer/songwriter and a musician. He has recorded and toured with the alt-folk duo Oxygen on Embers, which released their debut album Southwest Revival in 2019[26] after their debut EP, Takes Me Back, in 2018.[27]

Recognition edit

  • 2016 – Third place, Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies awards, in the Personal/Humor column category, for Fool's Gold[16]
  • 2017 – First place, Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies awards, in the Personal/Humor column category, for Fool's Gold[14]
  • 2018 – Recipient, Dog Writers Association of America Maxwell Medallion, in the Radio, Podcast, or Other Audio category, for "The Doggie Bucket List" – The Raven Narratives[25]
  • 2018 – First place, Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies awards, in the Personal/Humor column category, for Fool's Gold[13]
  • 2021 – Finalist, New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards, New Mexico Poetry category, for Wild Expectations[20]
  • 2021 – Third place, Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies awards, in the Personal/Humor column category, for Fool's Gold[15]
  • 2021 – Recipient, New Mexico Writers grant[24]
  • 2022 – First place, Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies awards, in the Personal/Humor column category, for Fool's Gold[12]
  • 2022 – Winner, 32nd annual Reading the West Book Awards for the poetry collection Desert Apocrypha[1]
  • 2023 – Shortlist, 33rd annual Reading the West Book Awards for the poetry collection Owl Poems[22]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Winners 2020-2029 – Reading the West". Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  2. ^ "New Mexico Mercury | Author Archives". newmexicomercury.com. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  3. ^ "UNM alum makes educational opportunities at Casa Urraca Press". UNM Newsroom. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  4. ^ Centre, Oscar Wilde (2012). A thoroughly good blue : new writing from the Oscar Wilde Centre /. Oscar Wilde Centre for Irish Writing. ISBN 978-0-9568358-1-9.
  5. ^ "Zach Hively". Edible Southwest Colorado. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  6. ^ "Zach Hively | Four Corners Free Press". Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  7. ^ "Durango Magazine". Durango Magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  8. ^ Hively, Zach. "Heeeeeeere's Zach! - Durango Telegraph". www.durangotelegraph.com. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  9. ^ "New Mexico Mercury | Author Archives". newmexicomercury.com. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  10. ^ "Zach Hively | Four Corners Free Press". Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  11. ^ "Top of the Rockies". Colorado Pro Chapter -- Society of Professional Journalists. 2010-12-17. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  12. ^ a b coloradospj (2022-04-10). "Society of Professional Journalists Colorado Pro Chapter announce Top of the Rockies Award Recipients". Colorado Pro Chapter -- Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  13. ^ a b c coloradospj (2018-04-25). "Top of the Rockies and Region 9 conference 2018 overview". Colorado Pro Chapter -- Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  14. ^ a b coloradospj (2017-04-15). "Full Results 2017". Colorado Pro Chapter -- Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  15. ^ a b coloradospj (2021-04-29). "Top of the Rockies Winners Announced". Colorado Pro Chapter -- Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  16. ^ a b coloradospj (2016-04-22). "Top of the Rockies winners". Colorado Pro Chapter -- Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  17. ^ Banshee #11. Co. Cork: Banshee Press. 2021. p. 109. ISBN 9781838312619.
  18. ^ Trickster. Española, NM: Northern New Mexico College. 2020. pp. 55–58.
  19. ^ ""I Stepped Off the Trail"". Conceptions Southwest: 10. 2021.
  20. ^ a b "2021Winners/Finalists". New Mexico Book Co-op. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  21. ^ "32nd Annual Shortlist Titles – Reading the West". Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  22. ^ a b "33rd Annual Shortlist Titles". Reading the West. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  23. ^ Price, V. B. (2020). Innocence Regained: Christmas Poems. Abiquiu, NM: Casa Urraca Press. ISBN 9781735151625.
  24. ^ a b Staff, Pasa. "Art and Culture News". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  25. ^ a b "2018 Nominees & Award Winners". Dog Writers Association. 2019-05-27. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  26. ^ Southwest Revival, 2019-04-26, retrieved 2022-05-17
  27. ^ Takes Me Back - EP by Oxygen on Embers, 2018-11-08, retrieved 2022-05-17