Randal Houle

At Johns Hopkins, Randal Houle is a lecturer for the MA in Writing program.

Houle is a poet and author of flash fiction. He lectures on some of his findings and how Indigenous storytelling and knowing may not be immediately apparent to settler readers. This work was conducted during the pandemic, presenting unique challenges and opportunities. His creative work often involves Dervish Essay which employs repetition, sound effect, and rhythm to create a meditative almost spiritual mode. Two such poems, “Rain Totem” and “Black Hole” appear in Phoenix, and a live stage performance at the Written in the Stars spoken word festival (Spokane, WA), respectively. His flash fiction pieces “Dig” (Salmon Creek Journal), “This Path” (Bending Genres), and “Speedy the Slug” (A Cluster of Lights) appear in print and online. Peter Field, Editor in Chief of Timberline Review writes, “These stories need to be embraced, for they reveal human frailty and at the same time illuminate our plucky strength,” Houle is presently at work on a novel.

Houle attended Washington State University where he studied the archives of Mourning Dove, the basis of his thesis.