American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (1988) Winner
Cherry Muhanji
チェリー・ムハンジ
Cherī Muhanji
Aliases:
Jeannette Delaine Washington
Pen Names:
Cherry Muhanji（Pen name of Jeannette Delaine Washington）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1939-04-26 （Detroit, Michigan, United States）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Detroit, Michigan → Iowa (studied at the University of Iowa) → Minnesota (associated/residence) → Vermont (affiliation with Goddard College) → Portland, Oregon (affiliation with Portland State University)
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, poet, short story writer, editor, university teacher
- Active Years
- 1970-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa | English, Anthropology and African American World Studies (doctoral-level) | — | Ph.D. | — | United States |
University of Iowa
English, Anthropology and African American World Studies (doctoral-level)
Degree:
Ph.D.
Country:
United States
Reported to hold a doctorate spanning English, anthropology and African American World Studies (sources limited)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Ferro-Grumley Award | Her | — | Ferro-Grumley Award organization | winner |
| 1991 | Lambda Literary Award | Her | — | Lambda Literary | winner |
| 1988 | American Book Award | Tight Spaces (co-edited) | — | Before Columbus Foundation (awarding organization) | winner |
Ferro-Grumley Award
1991
Work:
Her
Organization:
Ferro-Grumley Award organization
Result:
winner
Lambda Literary Award
1991
Work:
Her
Organization:
Lambda Literary
Result:
winner
American Book Award
1988
Work:
Tight Spaces (co-edited)
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation (awarding organization)
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Her
1990 novelA novel that explores relationships, desire, and intimacy within a community of Black women in Detroit, addressing themes of community, memory, and identity.
communityBlack feminismidentityintimacy
Tight Spaces
1987 anthology (co-edited)An anthology co-published by Cherry Muhanji and Kesho Y. Scott compiling voices and experiences of Black women writers through stories and essays.
Black feminismcommunityvoice and testimony
Bibliography
- Her (1990)
- Tight Spaces (co-edited, 1987)
- Poetry and short stories (published in magazines and anthologies)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- feminist perspectiveexperimental/poetic prosedetailed interior portrayals of community life
- Recurring Motifs
- sisterhoodmemorycorporealityeveryday intimacy
Legacy
Cherry Muhanji is recognized for her portrayals of the inner lives and communities of Black women in Detroit. Through fiction, poetry and editorial work she contributed to literary expressions of Black feminism and received multiple literary awards.
Trivia
- Birth name is Jeannette Delaine Washington; Cherry Muhanji is a pen name.
- Her novel 'Her' (1990) won the Ferro-Grumley Award and the Lambda Literary Award in 1991.
- The anthology 'Tight Spaces' (co-edited) won an American Book Award in 1988.
- Available biographical information relies largely on a small number of sources.