Gogisgi, an Indigenous poet you should know
Gogisgi, who often published under the name Carroll Arnett, was born in Oklahoma in 1927. He was Deer Clan Chief of the Overhill Band of the Cherokee Nation and remains, to date, one of the most prolific Cherokee poets.
In total, Gogisgi authored thirteen books of poetry. Middlebury owns nine, including Like a Wall (1969), featured in this post.
Gogisgi’s poems are typically concise, containing short lines that deliver a single message. Take “The Dare,” for example:
I always
ask too
much: it’s
the very
least I
can do.
Check here for a full list of works by Gogisgi at Middlebury.
Our bookish celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day started on Instagram. Check out Leslie Marmon Silko’s Sacred Water here.
Visit go.middlebury.edu/special to view more posts in our Indigenous authors series.
Questions? Email specialcollections@middlebury.edu.