A gifted poet, scholar, and teacher, Hillary Gravendyk came to Pomona College in 2009 after earning degrees from Tulane University, the University of Washington, and the University of California, Berkeley. She had already published a chapbook of poetry, The Naturalist (Achiote Press, 2008), and in short order went on to publish the critically acclaimed Harm (Omnidawn, 2011), along with a variety of individual poems in prestigious journals. At Pomona, she taught both creative writing and literature courses, on topics including feminist poetics, California poetry, and the experience of illness. She was known as a talented teacher and dedicated mentor to her students.
Professor Gravendyk was the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prize in Poetry (twice), the Emily Chamberlain Cook Prize in Poetry, and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Scholarship. At the time of her death, she was editing a book, Through, Plain: A Memoir by Larry Eigner.
Hillary Gravendyk passed away on May 10, 2014, after a long illness.
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