Dear Friends, Happy Black History Month! Celebrate blackness every day / all day, but this month take extra time to reflect on where we've come from and where we're going. Did you see the Google doodle on February 1st by artist Karen Collins? It's a detailed shadowbox commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Greensboro sit-in. Did you know that February 1st is also Langston Hughe's birthday? Artists can create work that honors our past and carries us into a brighter future. What will you create that lasts? The image above is my 2020 vision board. I wanted to share it as motivation for myself and hopefully inspiration for others. You are capable of so much and deserve all that you desire. Each joy is a win. Every quite stillness is a valuable retreat. May the rich colors of your imagination paint the reality you deserve. Onward with love, Amanda |
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UPCOMING EVENTS 2/11/20 - Maine College, Portland, ME 2/22/20 - Texas Poetry Out Loud Finals, Austin, TX 3/3/20 - Revisiting the Elegy in the Black Lives Matter Era Book Launch, Austin, TX 3/4-7/20 - AWP Conference, San Antonio, TX 3/6/20 - AWP Soul Sister Revue and Women Writers Bloom Salon, San Antonio, TX 3/7/20 - AWP Panel - S253. For Colored Girls' Fam, Friends, Fans: A Celebration of Ntozake Shange, 3:20PM, Rm. 205 CHECK AMANDAJOHNSTON.COM FOR DETAILS & MORE DATES |
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| | Dr. Sequoia Maner, co-editor of this collection, interviewed me about Black Poets Speak Out and the significance of Black arts activism during the time of Black Lives Matter. Thankful for everyone who made this important collection possible. | | |
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| | I'm thrilled my poem "Gender Reveal" is included in this anthology along with so many powerful poets I admire and am blessed to call friend. I'm thankful for the work of Dr. Joanne Gabbin, Lauren K. Alleyne and all who put in work with careful eyes and open hearts to bring this gift into the world. | | |
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Check out the 2020 AWP schedule. For Colored Girls' Fam, Friends, Fans: A Celebration of Ntozake Shange with Tamara J. Madison, Amanda Johnston, Remica Bingham-Risher, Gabrielle Lawrence-Cormier, JP Howard! - See you in San Antonio! | | |
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“What is safe in this burning for survival?” Amanda Johnston turns and turns the question, a high stakes puzzle to unravel, the answers all bound up in love. Tight, spare, minimalist and brimming with mystery, these poems weigh the consequences of every gesture: the opened lock, the raised right hand, the inward reach. “You grip the wheel, knuckles frozen, and press the gas/as clouds drift in and out of your mouth.” With strong resolve, illimitable talent, and a clear reverence for the forebears these poems reach for and find, Amanda Johnston crafts a collection of beauty and daring. Her risks are honest; her voice, vital—I mean absolutely necessary. -Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon | | |
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Want to bring Amanda Johnston to your event? Let's connect! Available for readings, adult and youth workshops, seminars, and speaking engagements. Press Kit | | |
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Cave Canem Foundation is near and dear to my heart. As a fellow and current board member, I know firsthand how Cave Canem supports Black poets with the necessary time, space, and encouragement needed to dream, create, and grow. Thank you for your continued support for this "home for black poetry." | | |
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Get Poetry News & Updates from Amanda Johnston |
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