▁Native ▁American ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁South western ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Her ▁career , ▁which ▁sp anned ▁over ▁five ▁dec ades , ▁included ▁ 2 8 ▁publications ▁of ▁pro se ▁and ▁poetry , ▁and ▁several ▁photograph ▁collections . ▁Wood ▁was ▁a ▁National ▁End ow ment ▁for ▁the ▁Arts ▁fellow , ▁and ▁a ▁recip ient ▁of ▁the ▁Lee ▁Ben nett ▁Hop kins ▁Po etry ▁Award . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Wood ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁an ▁Irish ▁Catholic ▁family ▁in ▁Tr ent on , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁raised . ▁She ▁began ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁writer ▁at ▁ 1 4 ▁at ▁the ▁Beach com ber ▁newspaper ▁on ▁Long ▁Beach ▁Island , ▁N J . ▁She ▁attended ▁Buck nell ▁University ▁in ▁Lewis burg , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁Career ▁Wood ▁moved ▁to ▁Colorado ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁where ▁she ▁lived ▁until ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁when ▁she ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁Mexico . ▁After ▁visit ing ▁Ta os ▁P ue blo ▁in ▁New ▁Mexico ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁Wood ▁became ▁greatly ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁P ue blo an ▁pe op les ' ▁culture ▁and ▁spiritual ▁belief s , ▁which ▁would ▁come ▁to ▁inform ▁her ▁literary ▁work . ▁" It ▁was ▁ 1 8 0 ▁degrees ▁from ▁what ▁I ▁knew ▁growing ▁up ," ▁she ▁said . ▁" N ature ▁was ▁the ▁center . ▁I ▁began ▁to ▁think ▁in ▁those ▁terms — ▁here ▁was ▁not ▁just ▁a ▁' rel ig ion ' ▁but ▁a ▁whole ▁way ▁of ▁being ▁and ▁seeing ." ▁