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Aziza Barnes

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Aziza Danielle Bailey Barnes (born October 1992) is an American poet.[1] Barnes frequently performs slam poetry and has performed at the Da Poetry Lounge, Urban Word NYC, PBS NewsHour and Nuyoricans Poets Cafe.[2]

Education

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Barnes received their B.A from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.[3] They received their MFA from the University of Mississippi.[4]

Career

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Barnes is the author of the chapbook me Aunt Jemima and the nailgun (2013), which won an Exploding Pinecone Prize from Button Poetry.[5] Their full-length collection, i be but i ain’t (2016), won a Pamet River Prize from YesYes Books.[6] They are the cofounder of the Poetry Gods podcast and the co-founder of The Conversation Literary Festival.[7][8] Barnes wrote the play BLKS, which played at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago.[9] Their upcoming collection, The Blind Pig will be released by Not A Cult media.[10]

BLKS

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BLKS centers around the story of four black millennial friends, Octavia, June, Ry and Imani, who share a New York City apartment.[11] The play has been called "comedic social realism" and is a "day in the life" style of work.[12] The production has been compared to the TV Show Girls.[13] BLKS was originally Barnes' final thesis project at NYU.[14]

Actors Nora Carroll (Octavia), Leea Ayers (June), Danielle Davis (Ry) and Celeste M. Cooper (Imani) performed in the Steppenwolf's Theatre Company's rendition of BLKS.[12][15] The show was directed by Nataki Garrett and artistic director Anna D. Shapiro. The show debuted on December 18, 2017,[15] and ran through January 28, 2018.

Awards

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  • 2015 Winter Tangerine Award[16][17]
  • 2013 NYU Grey Art Gallery Prize for Radical Presence
  • Emerging Poets fellowship at Poets House[18]
  • Cave Canem Fellow[19]
  • Antonyo Award for Best Play for BLKS [20]

Personal life

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Barnes is black, and identifies as queer.[12] They are originally from, and currently live in, Los Angeles.[2][21] Barnes was born with a polycystic ovary and as such grows facial hair. They use they/their/them pronouns.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "5 Poems – [PANK]". [PANK]. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "A Queer Black Poet's Quest for Liberation". Vice. June 3, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  3. ^ Lichtenstein, Jesse (August 12, 2018). "How Poetry Came to Matter Again". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  4. ^ Barnes, Aziza (August 19, 2016). "Aziza Barnes". Aziza Barnes. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  5. ^ "Aziza Barnes". Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ^ "YesYes Books | Home | Product Page". YesYes Books | Home. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  7. ^ "The Vernacular Music of Aziza Barnes' i be but i ain't". Electric Literature. November 25, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  8. ^ "The Next Generation of Black Poets: Cave Canem Fellows and Friends | African American Poetry & Poetics | University of Pittsburgh". www.caapp.pitt.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  9. ^ "Robert O'Hara Will Direct New York Premiere of Aziza Barnes' BLKS | Playbill". Playbill. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  10. ^ "Aziza Barnes, Author at Not a Cult". Not a Cult. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Lola, Candice (January 12, 2018). "Aziza Barnes' "BLKS" Delivers a Gorgeous Snapshot of Real Life That You'd Better Not Miss". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d Hayford, Justin. "Aziza Barnes's BLKS needs to take itself more srsly". Chicago Reader. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  13. ^ Vitello, Barbara (December 20, 2017). "20-somethings negotiate friendship, intimacy in Steppenwolf's uneven 'BLKS'". Daily Herald. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  14. ^ "Poet And Playwright Aziza Barnes Brings 'BLKS' To Steppenwolf". WBEZ. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Tube, Stage. "VIDEO: Behind the Scenes with BLKS Playwright Aziza Barnes". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  16. ^ "The Conversation". Winter Tangerine. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  17. ^ "My Dad Asks "How Come Black People Can't Just Write About Flowers?"". Winter Tangerine. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  18. ^ "Neyat Yohannes on "i be, but i ain't," by Aziza Barnes". VAGABOND CITY. February 2, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  19. ^ "Voices of Bettering American Poetry 2015 — Lauren Russell | VIDA: Women in Literary Arts". www.vidaweb.org. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  20. ^ Appler, Michael (June 20, 2020). "Audra McDonald, LaChanze & Celia Rose Gooding Win at Broadway Black's Inaugural Antonyo Awards". Variety. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  21. ^ "Issue Twenty: A Conversation with Aziza Barnes | The Adroit Journal". The Adroit Journal. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
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