Aziza Barnes Explained

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

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

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

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.[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

Personal life

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

Notes and References

  1. News: 5 Poems – [PANK]]. [PANK]. 2018-08-23. en-US.
  2. News: A Queer Black Poet's Quest for Liberation. 2017-06-03. Vice. 2018-08-23. en-us.
  3. News: How Poetry Came to Matter Again. Lichtenstein. Jesse. 2018-08-12. The Atlantic. 2018-08-23. en-US.
  4. Web site: Aziza Barnes. Barnes. Aziza. 2016-08-19. Aziza Barnes. en. 2018-08-23.
  5. Web site: Aziza Barnes. 2018-08-23. Poetry Foundation. en-us. Poetry Foundation. 2018-08-23.
  6. Web site: YesYes Books Home Product Page. YesYes Books Home. en. 2018-08-23.
  7. News: The Vernacular Music of Aziza Barnes' i be but i ain't. 2016-11-25. Electric Literature. 2018-08-23.
  8. Web site: The Next Generation of Black Poets: Cave Canem Fellows and Friends African American Poetry & Poetics University of Pittsburgh. www.caapp.pitt.edu. en. 2018-08-23.
  9. Web site: Robert O'Hara Will Direct New York Premiere of Aziza Barnes' BLKS Playbill. Playbill. en. 2018-08-23.
  10. Web site: Aziza Barnes, Author at Not a Cult. Not a Cult. en-US. 2018-08-24.
  11. Web site: Aziza Barnes' "BLKS" Delivers a Gorgeous Snapshot of Real Life That You'd Better Not Miss. Lola. Candice. 2018-01-12. Huffington Post. en-US. 2018-08-23.
  12. News: Aziza Barnes's BLKS needs to take itself more srsly. Hayford. Justin. Chicago Reader. 2018-08-23. en.
  13. News: 20-somethings negotiate friendship, intimacy in Steppenwolf's uneven 'BLKS'. Vitello. Barbara. 2017-12-20. Daily Herald. 2018-08-23. en-US.
  14. News: Poet And Playwright Aziza Barnes Brings 'BLKS' To Steppenwolf. WBEZ. 2018-08-23. en.
  15. News: VIDEO: Behind the Scenes with BLKS Playwright Aziza Barnes. Tube. Stage. BroadwayWorld.com. 2018-08-23. en.
  16. Web site: The Conversation. Winter Tangerine. en-US. 2018-08-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20180824034333/http://www.wintertangerine.com/the-conversation/. 2018-08-24. dead.
  17. Web site: My Dad Asks "How Come Black People Can't Just Write About Flowers?". Winter Tangerine. en-US. 2018-08-23.
  18. News: Neyat Yohannes on "i be, but i ain't," by Aziza Barnes. 2017-02-02. VAGABOND CITY. 2018-08-23. en-US.
  19. Web site: Voices of Bettering American Poetry 2015 — Lauren Russell VIDA: Women in Literary Arts. www.vidaweb.org. en-US. 2018-08-23.
  20. Web site: Appler . Michael . Audra McDonald, LaChanze & Celia Rose Gooding Win at Broadway Black's Inaugural Antonyo Awards . Variety . June 20, 2020 . 20 June 2020.
  21. Web site: Issue Twenty: A Conversation with Aziza Barnes The Adroit Journal . 2018-08-23 . The Adroit Journal . en-US.

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