Ariana Brown
Ariana Brown is an American spoken word poet from Texas.[1] In 2014, she was part of a winning team at the national collegiate poetry slam. Ariana Brown has won the “Best Poet” award twice at the same event.[2][3] She is also a two-time recipient of the Academy of American Poets Prize.[3]
Early life and education
Brown was born in San Antonio, Texas. Her father was a Black American and her mother is Mexican-American. Brown identifies as Afromexicana.[4] Growing up, Brown struggled to find representations of herself in literature, so she decided to write poetry for young women who struggle to feel represented.[5] She was also inspired by Black movement leaders, including Malcolm X.[6] In 2011, she was a part of her first poetry slam team and performed at nationals.[5]
Brown received her Bachelor's of Arts degree in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.[2] She is currently earning a Master of Fine Arts in poetry at the University of Pittsburgh and is working on a poetry manuscript about her life, the formation of a racial identity, cultural politics, and authenticity among other themes.[1][3] Brown is also working on a poetry manuscript about the conquest of the Aztecs through the lens of Black politics.[5]
Career
Brown has continued to participate in poetry slams, has performed her poetry across the United States, and often holds poetry workshops focused on writing poetry that heals.[6][7]
Brown writes poetry to uplift Black people and pay homage to her ancestors and the history of her people.[4] She wants to inspire and uplift disempowered communities through her poetry.[6] She also uses her poetry to validate Back girl rage.[7] Brown has been dubbed a "part-time curandera" because her poetry deals with healing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and sexual orientation.[6] She weaves contemporary issues and tensions into her poetry.[3] Her work has been featured in PBS, Huffington Post, Blavity, For Harriet, and Remezcla among others.[1]
Personal life
Brown is queer.[8]
Works
- LET US BE ENOUGH (debut poetry EP), February 22, 2019[9]
- “quaker blake” Barrelhouse Magazine, December 9, 2018[10]
- “Alternate Memory, or Love Dances Barefoot After the Men Have Disappeared” Barrelhouse Magazine, December 9, 2018[10]
- “Introductions” Scalawag Magazine, October 1, 2018[11]
- “In Defense of Santana’s ‘Maria Maria,’ Featuring Wyclef & the Product G&B” Rattle, January 29, 2018[12]
- “Minute Fathers” Sidekick Lit, Issue Four[13]
- “A Division of Gods” Winter Tangerine, 2017[14]
- “Abuela, de Carrizo Springs” As/Us, September 17, 2017[15]
- “Supremacy” Muzzle, June 2017[16]
- “Nylon, Black, ‘72” BOAAT[17]
- “At the End of the Sword” Neptantla, Issue 3[18]
- “Always, There is Music” African Voices, July 8, 2016[19]
- “Don’t Know Nobody from Ellis Island” Bird’s Thumb, June 2016[20]
- “Invocation” & “Sunday Morning” HEArt Online, April 4, 2016[21]
- “Ossuary” Rattle: Poets Respond, October 25, 2015[22]
References
- ^ a b c King, Jack Preston (2017-04-11). "Meet Ariana Brown — National Poetry Month Featured Poet for April 11th". Medium. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b Frank, Priscilla (2017-02-28). "34 Poets Of Color Summarize 2017 In Verse". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b c d Van de Kamp, Alexandra (2017-05-05). "'The Writers Desk' with Spoken Word Poet Ariana Brown". Rivard Report. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b "ARIANA BROWN". Soy Texas. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b c Segal, Corrine (2016-02-08). "How poet Ariana Brown became the Afro-Latina role model she needed". PBS. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b c d Reichard, Raquel (2017-10-31). "Ariana Brown Wants Her Poems About Depression to Heal and Empower Black Women". Remezcla. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b "Kick-off! Latinx Poetry Series at Harvard in Celebration of AfroLatinx History". emr.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Isaad, Virginia (2020-03-04). "Ariana Brown's Poetry Collection Explores Anti-Blackness in Latinx Culture". HipLatina. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (2019-02-22). "LET US BE ENOUGH, by Ariana Brown". Band Camp. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ a b Brown, Ariana (2018-12-09). "Two Poems by Ariana Brown". BARRELHOUSE. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (2018-10-01). "'This Work Will Take Dancing': Poems by Maria Lucas and Ariana Brown". Scalawag. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (2018-01-29). ""In Defense of Santana's 'Maria Maria' ft. Wyclef & The Product G&B" by Ariana Brown | Rattle: Poetry". Rattle. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana. "Minute Fathers". SIDEKICK LIT. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (2017). "A Division of Gods". Winter Tangerine. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (2017-09-17). "Abuela de Carrizo Springs". As Us. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (June 2017). "Supremacy". MUZZLE MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana. "Nylon, Black, '72". BOAAT PRESS. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana. "At the End of the Sword" (PDF). Nepantla.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (2016-07-08). "Always, There is Music". African Voices. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (June 2016). "Don't Know Nobody from Ellis Island". Bird's Thumb. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (2016-04-04). "Invocation & Sunday Morning". HEArt Online. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
- ^ Brown, Ariana (2015-10-25). "Ossuary". Rattle. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
External links
- Living people
- 21st-century American women writers
- 21st-century American poets
- American women poets
- Poets from Texas
- Writers from San Antonio
- African-American women writers
- American spoken word poets
- University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni
- American poets of Mexican descent
- African-American poets
- Afro-Mexican
- LGBT poets
- LGBT African Americans