Shaggy Flores

Shaggy Flores

Jaime 'Shaggy' Flores, also known as "Shaggy Flores" is a Nuyorican Poet, Writer and African Diaspora Scholar.

Early years

Shaggy Flores, was born and raised in the Spanish Harlem (NYC) then later in Puerto Rico (Cupei) and finally Springfield, MA. He received his primary and secondary education in Puerto Rico and Massachusetts. As a child, growing up in Robinson Gardens Housing Projects, he was heavily exposed to the work of the early Nuyorican Poets, his mother being a poet herself. Later in junior high and high school he showed a proficiency for writing and for creating short stories that depicted the Puerto Rican experience. He graduated from the High School of Commerce and eventually met a recruiter for the University of MA (BCP Program) who helped him continue his studies.

During the early nineties at Umass(Amherst) he was heavily involved with student politics, resurrecting old student organizations and creating new ones in the process. It was during this period that his work as a Nuyorican poet became known and he began to find elder Nuyorican Poets who could serve as mentors.

He completed his education at Umass with a degree in the African Diaspora and by creating the annual Voices for the Voiceless poetry concert. Voices is one of the largest Diaspora poetry concerts in the Northeast, bringing nationally established African Diaspora writers to the five-college community for one historic night of poetry. It was at this event that he established the Louis Reyes Rivera lifetime achievement award to honor legendary artists. File:My Photo for Flckr.jpg

Early Debut

Shaggy Flores made his early poetry debut by performing his work at the first North East Latino Student Conference in Umass-Amherst in the early nineties then later for a series of events produced by the Puerto Rican Student organization. He was a member of the Umass poetry society and traveled heavily to New York to perform at events such as the annual Muevete Conference held at Hostos college and later the National Poetry Slam held in Providence, RI.

Early readings would include performances at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Columbia University, Smith College, Mt. Holyoke, Springfield College, UNC Chapel Hill and for a poetry troupe created by Louis Reyes Rivera and Felipe Luciano call the Wordquestra in New York City. He would later get to meet and perform with many of the early Nuyorican writers who inspired him to become a writer.

His poems and interview have been published in journals, books, websites, and anthologies.

File:Sancochothelibro.jpg

• 
  Voices for the Voiceless Photo
• 
  Shaggy Flores and Victor Hernandez Cruz
• 
  Poster from the Ninth Annual Voices concert

Writing History and Bio

Shaggy Flores is a New Generation Nuyorican Poeta.

He’s the author of Sancocho - A Book of Nuyorican Poetry, can be found in The Anthologies Role Call and Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, both edited by Tony Medina [the latter co-edited with Louis Reyes Rivera]. He is one of the founders of the annual Voices for the Voiceless Poetry Concert which occurs in the five college Umass-Amherst area.

Considered by many to be an organizer and historian for the New Generation “Nuyorican” Latino poetry movement. He was a member of the 2000 National Hartford Slam team and competed in the 2001 Nationals as an independent competitor representing Springfield, MA. Shaggy also performed at the National Poetry Slam 2001 Latino showcase and in the NPS African American Showcase in Seattle, Washington. Mr. Flores was also the one of the first Latino poets along with Raul Salinas to feature at the prestigious Austin International Poetry Festival.

Shaggy is also the founder of Dark Souls Press and Aristotle’s Playground, a web and print design firm.

Currently

Shaggy Flores is married with one child, and is completing a Masters in History Degree at Virginia State University. He resides in Richmond, VA where he is at work on various national writing campaigns. He is an active and proud member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. and lectures around the country on issues pertaining to the African Diaspora. Shaggy is also completing his next book of poetry Obatala's Bugalu: A Nuyorican Book of Sights and Sounds to be released in the summer of 2008.

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans
• Performance poetry
• Nuyorican Movement
• List of Puerto Rican writers
• Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
• Black history in Puerto Rico
• Nuyorican Poets Cafe

External link

• Nuyorican Negritude - Official Website

External references

Postcolonial Journal

CENTRO Academic Journal: Puerto Rican Poetry of The Last Four Decades

Hostos Review Journal

Labor's Heritage Journal

Latino Promo Booking Agency

[http://www.performingprofound.com/thesisproposal.pdf Master Thesis:A History and Interactive Playground of Puerto Rican Performance Poetry]

Amherst College Article

Nuyorican Poets Cafe Performance

Voices for the Voiceless Article

Florida State University Article

Voices Article

Sample of Work: Poem of the month

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