Now, cancer has claimed his life. Hoagland, the revered poet, critic and professor in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston, died Tuesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 64. He leaves behind a legacy of students, many of whom are now poets and professors themselves, and more than 25 years of creative writing — both hilarious and heartbreaking — that will not soon be forgotten by fans throughout the country. His collection of poetry, “What Narcissism Means To Me,” was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2003.
“Our faculty, staff and students are deeply saddened by the news,” Antonio D. Tillis, dean of UH’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, said in a statement. “While our community will mourn, we are blessed to continually enjoy and reflect on contemporary American life and culture through the wit and humanness in his poetry.”