Vicki Hearne
Encyclopedia
Vicki Hearne was an American
author, philosopher, poet, animal trainer, and scholar of literary criticism
and linguistics
.
She was born in Austin, Texas
, but, because her father was an Air Force Officer, her childhood was spent in a number of Air Force Bases. The last, where her father retired, was in Riverside, California, where she attended the University of California. There Victoria Elizabeth Hearne received her B.A.
in English
. She subsequently spent more than twenty-five years studying animal behavior as a horse and dog trainer. Central to Hearne's view on animal training was her belief that animals should not be defined by behaviorists' dictates, that in their individuality they have the capacity to be in reciprocal relationships with humans both emotionally and morally. In addition to her poetry, she authored several books on animals and animal-training theory, including Adam's Task
, Bandit, and Animal Happiness. She received a 1992 award for outstanding literary achievement from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
In the mid-1980's she was offered an appointment at Yale, inducing a move from California to Connecticut. Eventually, she settled in Westbrook, Connecticut
, where, at the age of 55 she died of lung cancer
at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford
, attended by her daughter Colleen Lehrman from a previous marriage and her brother, James Hearne. She was in addition survived by her husband, Robert Tragesser, her father, William Victor Hearne and her mother, Elizabeth Saunders Hearne.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author, philosopher, poet, animal trainer, and scholar of literary criticism
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
and linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
.
She was born in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, but, because her father was an Air Force Officer, her childhood was spent in a number of Air Force Bases. The last, where her father retired, was in Riverside, California, where she attended the University of California. There Victoria Elizabeth Hearne received her B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. She subsequently spent more than twenty-five years studying animal behavior as a horse and dog trainer. Central to Hearne's view on animal training was her belief that animals should not be defined by behaviorists' dictates, that in their individuality they have the capacity to be in reciprocal relationships with humans both emotionally and morally. In addition to her poetry, she authored several books on animals and animal-training theory, including Adam's Task
Adam's Task
Adam’s Task: Calling Animals by Name by philosopher, poet, and animal trainer Vicki Hearne describes an innovative and metaphysical approach to training animals...
, Bandit, and Animal Happiness. She received a 1992 award for outstanding literary achievement from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
In the mid-1980's she was offered an appointment at Yale, inducing a move from California to Connecticut. Eventually, she settled in Westbrook, Connecticut
Westbrook, Connecticut
Westbrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,292 at the 2000 census. The town center is also classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place .-Geography:...
, where, at the age of 55 she died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford
Branford, Connecticut
-Landmarks and attractions:Branford has six historic districts that are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places . These include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture...
, attended by her daughter Colleen Lehrman from a previous marriage and her brother, James Hearne. She was in addition survived by her husband, Robert Tragesser, her father, William Victor Hearne and her mother, Elizabeth Saunders Hearne.