Samiya Bashir

Poet

Ann Arbor, MI
Michigan US
Email: 
scryptkeeper@mac.com
Website: 
www.samiyabashir.com

Author's Bio

Samiya Bashir is the author of Gospel, and Where the Apple Falls, a Poetry Foundation bestseller and finalist for the 2005 Lambda Literary Award. Bashir is editor of Black Women’s Erotica 2 and co-editor, with Tony Medina and Quraysh Ali Lansana, of Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social & Political Black Literature & Art. She has also published three chapbook poetry collections: Wearing Shorts on the First Day of Spring, American Visa and Teasing Crow.

Bashir is an alumni fellow with Cave Canem and a founding organizer of Fire & Ink, a writer’s festival for LGBT writers of African descent.

Bashir’s poetry, stories, articles, essays and editorial work have been featured in numerous publications including: Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, Other Countries: Voices Rising, Callaloo, Reverie, Carry the Word, Essence, Obsidian III, CaKe #3, Cave Canem #7, Poetry for the People: A Revolutionary Blueprint, Contemporary American Women Poets, Best Lesbian Erotica 03, The San Francisco Bay Guardian, Ms. Magazine, Black Issues Book Review, Curve, Vibe, Seventeen, XXL, Lambda Book Report, and The American Journal of Public Health.

Publications & Prizes

Books:
Gospel: poems (RedBone Press, 2009)
,
Where the Apple Falls: poems (RedBone Press, 2005)
,
Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social & Political Black Literature & Art (Third World Press, 2002)
Prizes won: 

Zell Fellowship, University of Michigan 2009-10
Writing Fellow, Virginia Center for the Arts 2009
Cave Canem Scholar, Community of Writers at Squaw Valley 2009
Artist in Residence, The Austin Project 2008-09
Artist in Residence, Alma de Mujer 2008
Writer in Residence, Soul Mountain Writers Colony 2008
James Cody Scholar, James Dick Foundation for the Performing Arts, Poetry at Round Top Festival 2008
Finalist, Lambda Literary Award, for Where the Apple Falls: Poetry 2006
Winner, National Best Book of Poetry by a SGL Black Poet, Urban Spectrum & 2006
Runner Up, National Best Poetry Book, Urban Spectrum, for Where the Apple Falls: Poetry
Winner, Best Anthology, Urban Spectrum, for Best Black Women’s Erotica 2 2003
Fellow, Cave Canem African American Poetry Workshop 2002-06
Winner, Lesbian Poetry Award, Astraea Foundation 2002
Finalist, Lesbian Poetry Award, Astraea Foundation 2000
Poetry ‘96 Award, San Francisco Bay Guardian 1996
Poet’s Choice Award, National Association of Pen Women, Portland Pen 1996
Randall Jarrell Poetry Prize, H.M., North Carolina Writer’s Network 1995
Poet Laureate, University of California 1994
Emily Chamberlain Cooke Award for Poetry, University of California 1994

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
African American
Prefers to work with: 
Any
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
Ypsilanti
Raised in: 
Ann Arbor, MI
Michigan
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Nov 05, 2009