W. Joe Hoppe
Encyclopedia
W. Joe Hoppe is an American poet, short story writer and filmmaker who was at the forefront of the performance poetry
scene in Austin, Texas
.
He grew up in Jackson, Michigan
, where he worked as a janitor in a tool & die shop and as a gas station attendant. He received a degree in communications from the University of Michigan
in 1984 then headed to Minneapolis to pay off his debt to society by working in shelters. In Minneapolis he also got into the international Xerox zine
scene co-editing Bitter Obscurity, Journal of Erickson's Stage 61/2, and Pocketful of Mirrors. He was a regular at readings and performances at the Rifle Sport Gallery
, Circus to the Trade, and Speedboat Gallery.
He married P.S. Monear in 1990, one year after coming to Austin, Texas. Hoppe quickly became an important member of the nascent performance poetry scene that grew up around Chicago House coffee house, where Hedwig Gorski
, the originator of performance poetry, and Raul Salinas often performed together. He was a student of famed poet Albert Huffstickler
and a member of one of Austin’s premier poetry groups, The Blue Plate Poets, which included Marlys West, Pasha, Tammy Gomez, Mike Henry and Robert Lee. Hoppe received a master’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Texas in 1994, and subsequently received a James A. Michener Post-Graduate Fellowship from the Texas Center for Writers (now Michener Center). Through excellent timing, he was able to use the fellowship to stay home and be a house dad to his son Max, born in 1995.
Joe has self-published about a dozen chapbooks through Lucky Tiger Press. His poems have appeared in Analecta, Borderlands, Cider Press Review, Di*Verse*Cities, Nerve Cowboy, and Utter. His poems have been anthologized in Stand Up Poetry and How to be This Man, and on the Web at gumballpoetry.com. Joe’s one-of-a-kind poetry video, “$5200 MSTA” has been shown at the Dallas Video Festival, San Antonio Underground Film Festival, Austin Film Festival
, and VideoEx in Zurich, Switzerland.
His books include a collection of short stories, Harmon Place (1991) from Primal Press, and a poetry collection, Galvanized (2007), from Dalton Publishing.
Hoppe currently teaches English and Creative Writing at Austin Community College
.
Performance poetry
Performance poetry is poetry that is specifically composed for or during a performance before an audience. During the 1980s, the term came into popular usage to describe poetry written or composed for performance rather than print distribution.-History:...
scene 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...
.
He grew up in Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
, where he worked as a janitor in a tool & die shop and as a gas station attendant. He received a degree in communications from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1984 then headed to Minneapolis to pay off his debt to society by working in shelters. In Minneapolis he also got into the international Xerox zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
scene co-editing Bitter Obscurity, Journal of Erickson's Stage 61/2, and Pocketful of Mirrors. He was a regular at readings and performances at the Rifle Sport Gallery
Rifle Sport Gallery
Rifle Sport Gallery was open from 1985 to 1988 in the Block E segment of Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, USA. It was considered an underground component of the Minneapolis art scene and is fondly remembered by many....
, Circus to the Trade, and Speedboat Gallery.
He married P.S. Monear in 1990, one year after coming to Austin, Texas. Hoppe quickly became an important member of the nascent performance poetry scene that grew up around Chicago House coffee house, where Hedwig Gorski
Hedwig Gorski
Dr. Hedwig Gorski is an American performance poet and an avant-garde artist who labels her aesthetic as American Futurism...
, the originator of performance poetry, and Raul Salinas often performed together. He was a student of famed poet Albert Huffstickler
Albert Huffstickler
Albert Huffstickler was an American poet. He was born in Texas and lived in Austin during his later years, contributing to the poetry scene there and further afield. Huffstickler published hundreds of poems in his lifetime in both chapbooks and academic and underground journals...
and a member of one of Austin’s premier poetry groups, The Blue Plate Poets, which included Marlys West, Pasha, Tammy Gomez, Mike Henry and Robert Lee. Hoppe received a master’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Texas in 1994, and subsequently received a James A. Michener Post-Graduate Fellowship from the Texas Center for Writers (now Michener Center). Through excellent timing, he was able to use the fellowship to stay home and be a house dad to his son Max, born in 1995.
Joe has self-published about a dozen chapbooks through Lucky Tiger Press. His poems have appeared in Analecta, Borderlands, Cider Press Review, Di*Verse*Cities, Nerve Cowboy, and Utter. His poems have been anthologized in Stand Up Poetry and How to be This Man, and on the Web at gumballpoetry.com. Joe’s one-of-a-kind poetry video, “$5200 MSTA” has been shown at the Dallas Video Festival, San Antonio Underground Film Festival, Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
, and VideoEx in Zurich, Switzerland.
His books include a collection of short stories, Harmon Place (1991) from Primal Press, and a poetry collection, Galvanized (2007), from Dalton Publishing.
Hoppe currently teaches English and Creative Writing at Austin Community College
Austin Community College
The Austin Community College District is a regional community college district with eight campuses and 12 centers located in and around the city of Austin, Texas, United States....
.