Poet Hayden Carruth dies

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Hayden Carruth, the award-winning poet who lived in Vermont in the 1960s and 70s, has died at his home in New York state.

He won the National Award for Poetry for his book, "Scrambled Eggs and Whiskey."

Carruth published more than 30 books and was known for his poems about the people and places in northern Vermont.

In 1973 he received the Governor’s ward for excellence in the arts from the Vermont Council on the Arts. He also received the Vermont Governor’s Medal.
In 2002, a series of celebrations around the state honored his work. In 1987, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Lois Eby, a longtime friend, said at the time that Carruth had a special richness of interest, a gift for language and a sense of humor that were all apparent in his poems.

He was 87.

Editor’s note:  This story reflects the clarification that Hayden Carruth was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1987. The Prize went to Rita Dove for "Thomas and Beulah," according to the Pulitzer Prize website.

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