Featured Readers
Wednesday, February 6 ~ Celebrating Black History Month
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Hosted by: Nanette Deetz
Featured readers: Ishmael Reed, Tennessee Reed, Fairfield's 1st Poet Laureate Juanita Martin, and Boundless Gratitude, aka
Haussan Jones-Bey
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Hosted by: Nanette Deetz
Featured readers: Ishmael Reed, Tennessee Reed, Fairfield's 1st Poet Laureate Juanita Martin, and Boundless Gratitude, aka
Haussan Jones-Bey
Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Reed is author of more than thirty books to date, including his eleventh novel, Conjugating Hindi,( Dalkey Archive Press, 2018); his eleventh non-fiction work, The Complete Muhammad Ali (Baraka Books, July, 2015); and New and Collected Poems, 1964-2007 (Carroll & Graf, 2007). New York’s Nuyorican Poets Café presented a staged reading of his newest play, The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda in January, 2019 and a full production of his eighth play, Life Among the Aryans, in June, 2018. A new essay collection, Why No Confederate States in Mexico, is forthcoming from Baraka Books in May 2019. In addition Reed has edited numerous magazines and fourteen anthologies, of which the most recent is Black Hollywood Unchained (Third World Press, 2015). He is also a publisher, songwriter, public media commentator, lecturer, teacher and founder of the Before Columbus Foundation and PEN Oakland, non-profit organizations run by writers for writers. After teaching at the University of California, Berkeley for over thirty years, he retired in 2005. Now a Distinguished Professor at California College of the Art, he will also teach a Spring 2019 class at UC Berkeley. He is a MacArthur Fellow, with other honors including the University of Buffalo’s 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award, National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize nominations, a Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Award, and San Francisco LitQuake’s 2011 Barbary Coast Award. Awarded the 2008 Blues Songwriter of the Year from the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame, his collaborations with jazz musicians for the past forty years were also recognized by SFJazz Center with his appointment, from 2012-2016, as San Francisco’s first Jazz Poet Laureate and in Venice, Italy, where he became the first Alberto Dubito International awardee in May, 2016, honored as “a special artistic individual who has distinguished himself through the most innovative creativity in the musical and linguistic languages.” Reed’s most recent honors include the 2018 Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Award, and the 2017 AUDELCO Pioneer Award for the Theater. His online international literary magazine, Konch, can be found at .ishmaelreedpub.com. His author website is located at .ishmaelreedpub.org.
Ishmael Reed is author of more than thirty books to date, including his eleventh novel, Conjugating Hindi,( Dalkey Archive Press, 2018); his eleventh non-fiction work, The Complete Muhammad Ali (Baraka Books, July, 2015); and New and Collected Poems, 1964-2007 (Carroll & Graf, 2007). New York’s Nuyorican Poets Café presented a staged reading of his newest play, The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda in January, 2019 and a full production of his eighth play, Life Among the Aryans, in June, 2018. A new essay collection, Why No Confederate States in Mexico, is forthcoming from Baraka Books in May 2019. In addition Reed has edited numerous magazines and fourteen anthologies, of which the most recent is Black Hollywood Unchained (Third World Press, 2015). He is also a publisher, songwriter, public media commentator, lecturer, teacher and founder of the Before Columbus Foundation and PEN Oakland, non-profit organizations run by writers for writers. After teaching at the University of California, Berkeley for over thirty years, he retired in 2005. Now a Distinguished Professor at California College of the Art, he will also teach a Spring 2019 class at UC Berkeley. He is a MacArthur Fellow, with other honors including the University of Buffalo’s 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award, National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize nominations, a Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Award, and San Francisco LitQuake’s 2011 Barbary Coast Award. Awarded the 2008 Blues Songwriter of the Year from the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame, his collaborations with jazz musicians for the past forty years were also recognized by SFJazz Center with his appointment, from 2012-2016, as San Francisco’s first Jazz Poet Laureate and in Venice, Italy, where he became the first Alberto Dubito International awardee in May, 2016, honored as “a special artistic individual who has distinguished himself through the most innovative creativity in the musical and linguistic languages.” Reed’s most recent honors include the 2018 Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Award, and the 2017 AUDELCO Pioneer Award for the Theater. His online international literary magazine, Konch, can be found at .ishmaelreedpub.com. His author website is located at .ishmaelreedpub.org.
Tennessee Reed
Tennessee Reed is the author of seven poetry collections, most recently New and Collected Poems 1982-2011 (World Parade Books, 2011), a memoir, titled Spell Albuquerque, Memoirs of a “Difficult” Student (CounterPunch/AK Press, 2009) and a novel, titled Adventures Among the X-Challenged (Ishmael Reed Publishing Company, 2013). Currently she has a poetry collection-in-progress titled Calafia Burning Poems 2012-2019. Tennessee began writing as a young child, and has presented readings of her work throughout the Continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, England, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Israel and Japan. She is also a photographer and videographer and is the chairperson of PEN Oakland and the managing editor of Konch Magazine.
Tennessee Reed is the author of seven poetry collections, most recently New and Collected Poems 1982-2011 (World Parade Books, 2011), a memoir, titled Spell Albuquerque, Memoirs of a “Difficult” Student (CounterPunch/AK Press, 2009) and a novel, titled Adventures Among the X-Challenged (Ishmael Reed Publishing Company, 2013). Currently she has a poetry collection-in-progress titled Calafia Burning Poems 2012-2019. Tennessee began writing as a young child, and has presented readings of her work throughout the Continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, England, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Israel and Japan. She is also a photographer and videographer and is the chairperson of PEN Oakland and the managing editor of Konch Magazine.
Juanita Martin
Juanita J. Martin is Fairfield’s first poet laureate, 2010-2012. She’s also a freelance writer, and performance artist. Her poetry book, The Lighthouse Beckons, was accepted into the Solano County Library. Martin’s next volume of poems, Quiet Intensity, is due out in 2019. She’s published in Blue Collar Review, SoMa Literary Review, and others. Juanita is active in Ina Coolbrith Circle, and Benicia First Tuesday Poets. Juanita was also a longtime member of Redwood Writers from 2007-2017. Juanita is listed with Poets & Writers Directory of Poets. She often reads for the Beat Poetry Festival and 100 Thousand Poets for Change. Juanita has been a featured reader with Healdsburg Literary Guild, Petaluma Poetry Walk 2007 & 2016, as well as Berkeley Poetry Festival. She has also contributed to Sonoma Discoveries Magazine, a tourist magazine covering North & West Sonoma County, and the Coast. Read more about Juanita here!
Juanita J. Martin is Fairfield’s first poet laureate, 2010-2012. She’s also a freelance writer, and performance artist. Her poetry book, The Lighthouse Beckons, was accepted into the Solano County Library. Martin’s next volume of poems, Quiet Intensity, is due out in 2019. She’s published in Blue Collar Review, SoMa Literary Review, and others. Juanita is active in Ina Coolbrith Circle, and Benicia First Tuesday Poets. Juanita was also a longtime member of Redwood Writers from 2007-2017. Juanita is listed with Poets & Writers Directory of Poets. She often reads for the Beat Poetry Festival and 100 Thousand Poets for Change. Juanita has been a featured reader with Healdsburg Literary Guild, Petaluma Poetry Walk 2007 & 2016, as well as Berkeley Poetry Festival. She has also contributed to Sonoma Discoveries Magazine, a tourist magazine covering North & West Sonoma County, and the Coast. Read more about Juanita here!
Boundless Gratitude aka Hassaun Jones-Bey
Boundless Gratitude launched his self-taught and self-proclaimed musical storytelling career by entertaining his children. As his children grew old enough for more sophisticated entertainment, Boundless started tuning his guitar, writing new songs, and entertaining other adults at open mics. He also served as open mic co-host in venues such as the old Freight and Salvage, Berkeley Art Center, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, and the fellowship hall of the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists. During this time, Boundless Gratitude also shared his musical storytelling in community and educational programs (including “Guitars not Guns” groups). In school programs he was often known only as “Mr. B.G.” During his professional life as a writer and editor--editing the bi-annual journal of Children’s Music Network from print to digital publication--Mr. B.G. was known by the name he received at birth, Hassaun Ali Jones-Bey. Early musical storytelling pseudonyms include Ali Ibn Musa, and HAJB the Mad Poet. For several years now, the Boundless Gratitude pseudonym has been set aside, in the shift from songwriting and performing to academic study of the functional role of music and storytelling in religious and cultural communities--particularly in communities of the African Diaspora. Of late, a renewed interest in developing and sharing music and stories based on these studies is bringing Boundless Gratitude back to the fore.
Boundless Gratitude launched his self-taught and self-proclaimed musical storytelling career by entertaining his children. As his children grew old enough for more sophisticated entertainment, Boundless started tuning his guitar, writing new songs, and entertaining other adults at open mics. He also served as open mic co-host in venues such as the old Freight and Salvage, Berkeley Art Center, Frank Bette Center for the Arts, and the fellowship hall of the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists. During this time, Boundless Gratitude also shared his musical storytelling in community and educational programs (including “Guitars not Guns” groups). In school programs he was often known only as “Mr. B.G.” During his professional life as a writer and editor--editing the bi-annual journal of Children’s Music Network from print to digital publication--Mr. B.G. was known by the name he received at birth, Hassaun Ali Jones-Bey. Early musical storytelling pseudonyms include Ali Ibn Musa, and HAJB the Mad Poet. For several years now, the Boundless Gratitude pseudonym has been set aside, in the shift from songwriting and performing to academic study of the functional role of music and storytelling in religious and cultural communities--particularly in communities of the African Diaspora. Of late, a renewed interest in developing and sharing music and stories based on these studies is bringing Boundless Gratitude back to the fore.