N. Scott Momaday, an internationally acclaimed poet, novelist, playwright, storyteller, artist and teacher, was born in Lawton, Oklahoma. He grew up in various communities in the Southwest. His parents, who were teachers, moved among reservation schools.

He is enrolled in the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma but also has Cherokee heritage from his mother. Momaday’s novel House Made of Dawn led to a writing renaissance for Native American literature and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969.

He is also the author of The Way to Rainy Mountain; The Ancient Child; The Names: A Memoir; In the Bear’s House and other collections of poetry and articles. Momaday’s poetry reflects his concern for Kiowa culture, history, song, ceremony and myth. In the Bear’s House reveals his deep fascination with the bear figure and his watercolor illustrations are included in the book.

He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and has taught at Stanford, UC-Berkeley and the University of Arizona. In 2007, he was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush. Momaday is the Oklahoma Centennial Poet Laureate.

P.S. Billy the Kid was denied a pardon. Listen to Chapter 10.

“I simply kept my goal in mind and persisted. Perseverance is a large part of writing.” ~ N. Scott Momaday