Before Bojan Louis was an award-winning writer, he was a young boy listening to stories told by his family – their voices carrying the weight of history, struggle and survival. He was captivated by the way words could shape understanding, yet never imagined those same words would one day earn him national recognition. 

Now an associate professor of English and American Indian Studies in the University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Louis was recently named a 2025 USA Fellow – a validation of the stories he has spent a life learning to tell.

"I write a lot about addiction, fatherhood and being Navajo – what that means and what it means to be a wanderer," Louis said. "My real love is fiction and short stories. I love poetry, but I gravitate toward short stories."

The USA Fellowship, awarded by the Chicago-based nonprofit organization United States Artists, recognizes artists across disciplines with an unrestricted $50,000. Since its inception in 2006, the program has distributed more $41 million to more than 1,000 artists.

"We are honored to announce the 2025 USA Fellowship with this wonderfully skilled and multifaceted group of Fellows," said Judilee Reed, president and CEO of United States Artists, in a statement. "Much like this cohort, our support through the USA Fellowship is enduring and manifold, extending beyond a momentary and monetary contribution to establish a durable and sustainable relationship that artists may draw on at each stage of their careers."

This year's 50 fellows are based in 21 states and include both emerging and established artists and creators. In addition to writers, USA Fellows pursue architecture and design, crafting, dance, film, media, music and theater. Nominations are anonymous, and applications are reviewed by discipline-specific panelists. 

Louis, who is Diné of the Naakai dine’é, born for the Áshííhí, is an accomplished writer across multiple genres. His works include the short story collection "Sinking Bell," the poetry collection "Currents" and the nonfiction chapbook "Troubleshooting Silence in Arizona." His writing has also been featured in "Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers," "When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through: A Norton Anthology of Native Nations Poetry, Native Voices Anthology," and "The Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature."

Louis previously won a MacDowell Fellowship, 2018 and 2023 American Book Awards, a 2023 National Endowments for the Arts Literature Fellowship and a 2023 Southwest Book Award. In addition to his work at the U of A, he is a mentor at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

A lifelong craft

Louis recalls entertaining the idea of writing as a career as an undergraduate student at Northern Arizona University. 

"I had this fantasy of being a 'continental' writer: brunching in the morning, writing and living an easy life," he said. "But I knew that wasn't realistic. I had to work. Writing was something I could carry with me, a practice I could do on my own without judgment. Until, of course, you start sharing your work and getting rejections."

As an instructor, Louis encourages his students to embrace diverse genres, which he credits with reinvigorating his own love for storytelling.

"I grew up reading horror," he said. "Stephen King was one of my first real reads as a preteen. But in academia, genre fiction is often looked down on. But teaching these students has reminded me how much I love it. My students turn in sci-fi, horror, fantasy – and instead of rejecting those, I meet them where they are. It's opened up my own writing, my reading and my perspective."

Louis is currently working on a second poetry collection, which he describes as deeply personal, akin to a memoir. He is also developing a novel with horror elements that explores the influence of metal music in Native communities. He plans to use the USA Fellowship award funds to focus on his writing while on sabbatical next year.

From MFA to USA

Also recognized as a 2025 USA Fellow was Raquel Gutiérrez, a graduate of the U of A's Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. A critic, essayist, poet, performer and educator, Gutiérrez is best known for "Brown Neon," which was named one of the best books of 2022 by The New Yorker. Gutiérrez's upcoming poetry collection, "Southwest Reconstruction," will be published in the fall.

Reflecting on their time as a Wildcat, Gutiérrez credited the MFA program as a source of community and artistic growth.

"I had amazing professors at the U of A," Gutiérrez said. "Creative nonfiction at the university is incredible, attracting brilliant writers and thinkers. The program also brings outstanding contemporary writers to Tucson, which made it an inspiring place to study."