I am a California born, granddaughter of immigrants, documented and undocumented, who works as a writer, editor, writing coach, spoken word performer, recording artist, and actress. I live as a mother, grandmother, aunt, niece, cousin and friend to many who honor me with their friendship in return.
I am San Francisco’s third Poet Laureate, an award winning poet and fiction writer, creative non-fiction writer, performer, editor, and writing coach, as well as the former poet-in-residence of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. I have toured internationally in places such as Northern and Southern Italy, Bosnia, Jamaica, Venezuela, Belgium, England and Wales, and throughout the United States both performing my poetry and serving on panels speaking on African-American poetry, Beat Poetry, and poetry of resistance. I have two novels and seven books of poetry published. My newest volume of poetry califia’s daughter was released by Aquarius Books/Willow Press in July of 2020. In 2019 my first international title a braccia aperte (with open arms) was released in Italy by Multimedia Edizione. My first novel, An Open Weave, was awarded the First Novelist Award by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, was released by Seal Press and later sold to Women’s Press in London and resold as a trade paperback to Signature Press. Curbstone Press released my second novel (which includes poetry), Brown Glass Windows to critical acclaim. City Lights Publishing released another book of my poetry, and then we became in 2016 and where river meets ocean in 2006. Creative Arts Books, Inc. released my third solo book of poetry, with more than tongue. I am the recipient of a 2002 California Arts Council Spoken Word Literary Arts Fellowship.
For over twenty years I have been a part of Daughters of Yam (a poetry performance group with Opal Palmer Adisa) which has released one book, two chapbooks, one poetry and jazz cassette and one poetry and jazz CD. My poems and short stories, and essays have been published in a number of anthologies including: So Long Been Dreaming : Post-Colonial Science Fiction, Mojo: Conjurer Tales, Revising the Psalms: Work Celebrating Gwendolyn Brooks, Of Poetry and Protest: From Emmett Till to Travon Martin, Poetry of Resistance: Voices for Social Justice, Drum Voices Review, So Much Thing to Say, Heartspeak, Saints of Hysteria, 100 Poets Against the War , So Luminous the Wildflowers, Rites of Passage , Black Silk , Bum Rush the Page: Def Poetry Jam , Girls Like Us , Father Songs ,Streetlights: Urban Stories of the Black Experience , Thoughts to Savor , I Hear A Symphony , Poetry Like Bread , and many magazines and journals including “Caribbean Interview,” “Essence” “The New Progressive”, “Caribbean Writer,” “Left Curve,” “Essence,” “River Styx”, “Black Scholar”, “Callaloo”, “Obsidian”, “Paterson Literary Review”, and “Zyzzyva,” I have received Pushcart recognition for her short story/poem, “A Crowded Table”. I was also a CAC Writing Fellowship in 1989.I have also written two “Start to Finish” history books for young people: Rosa Parks: Freedom Fighter and Frederick Douglas: A Hero for All Times (1999) I have edited and written introductions for six student poetry anthologies produced by the Fine Arts Museums Poets in the Galleries program.
I work as both what is now call a “page poet” which is to day a poet whose poetry lives on the page and a performing poet (which I believe is the essence of poetry, to hear it on the air) and as such besides performing as a solo artist I have been in some productions with my poetry. In June 2015 I premiered my poetry play Classic Black: Voices of 19th Century African-Americans in San Francisco at the San Francisco International Arts Festival. Before that in 2004 I was given a commission by the Oakland East Bay Symphony to collaborate with composer Guillermo Galindo to create and perform in Trade Route, a symphony with spoken word and chorus, that premiered in 2005.
In addition to teaching poetry craft, science fiction short story writing and composition at California College of the Arts, I have taught at New College and lectured at San Jose State, Humboldt College, San Francisco State College, Stanford University, Connecticut State College, Dade (Miami) City College, and San Mateo, San Jose, and San Francisco City Colleges. I have also taught poetry performance workshops at Laney College, held workshops and individual writing coaching sessions for novice and experienced poetry and/or prose writers. I was executive director of California Poets in the Schools and Literary Program Director for Koncepts Cultural Gallery editing their community arts magazine Konceptualizations.