In memoriam: Ken Lincoln, 80, UCLA English professor
Professor Ken Lincoln died last month at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the age of 80. Ken was one of several recruits to the UCLA English Department from Indiana University. He arrived in 1969 with a PhD in Victorian literature, specializing in the works of Joseph Conrad. But Ken was always attracted to working on Native American culture, from the time of his schooling in western Nebraska, and he taught courses in Native American literature for most of his career at UCLA, as well as Contemporary American Literature. He helped to found the American Indian Studies Center at UCLA, which is now a department, and was chair of the first interdisciplinary Master’s Program in the subject. Among his notable books in the field are Native American Renaissance (UC 1983) and Indi’n Humor: Bicultural Play in Native America (Oxford 1993), and he edited nine volumes in the UCLA Native American Poetry Series. In addition to his scholarship, Ken was a great teacher and received the UCLA Distinguished Teaching Award in 1991. He retired in 2011. A memorial service will be held in August; please email kenrobertlincoln@aol.com for more information about attending, or sharing memories of Ken.