Lannan Literary Awards
4 appearances
Chrystos
クリストス
Chrystos
Pen Names:
Christina Smith（birth name）
Profile
- Gender
- Unknown
- Born
- 1946-11-07 （San Francisco, California, US）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Bainbridge Island, Washington (moved 1980) → Ocean Shores, Washington (resident since 2011) → San Francisco, California (born)
Career
- Occupations
- writer, artist, activist, lecturer, writing teacher
- Active Years
- 1970-
- Influenced By
- Audre Lorde, Joy Harjo, Elizabeth Woody, Lillian Pitt
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | National Endowment for the Arts (grant) | — | — | National Endowment for the Arts | 助成 |
| — | Sappho Award of Distinction | — | — | Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice | 受賞 |
| — | Barbara Deming Memorial Fund (grant) | — | — | Barbara Deming Memorial Fund | 助成 |
| — | Audre Lorde International Poetry Competition | — | — | Audre Lorde-related organizations | 受賞 |
National Endowment for the Arts (grant)
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
助成
Sappho Award of Distinction
Organization:
Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
Result:
受賞
Barbara Deming Memorial Fund (grant)
Organization:
Barbara Deming Memorial Fund
Result:
助成
Audre Lorde International Poetry Competition
Organization:
Audre Lorde-related organizations
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
This Bridge Called My Back (contributor)
1981 Anthology (contributor)Contributor to a key anthology focusing on women of color and feminist perspectives.
feminismracesolidarity
Not Vanishing
1988 poetry / prose poetryA collection of poems addressing colonialism, racism, and Indigenous experiences.
colonialismIndigenous identityresistance
Dream On
1991 poetryA poetry collection linking personal experience and political themes.
self-expressionsocial justice
In Her I Am
1993 poetryWorks that celebrate and interrogate lesbian, Indigenous, and women's lives.
sexualitycommunity
Fugitive Colors
1995 poetryA poetic exploration of colonization and memory through layered imagery and language.
memorylandhistory
Fire Power
1995 poetry / essaysWorks themed around anger and renewal, where self-expression intersects with politics.
angerhealingresistance
Best Lesbian Erotica 1999 (co-editor)
1999 edited anthology / erotic poetry and fictionCo-edited anthology of lesbian erotica with Tristan Taormino.
eroticismsexuality
Bibliography
- This Bridge Called My Back (contributor), Kitchen Table, 1981
- Not Vanishing, Press Gang Publishers, 1988
- Dream On, Press Gang Publishers, 1991
- In Her I Am, Press Gang Publishers, 1993
- Fugitive Colors, Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 1995
- Fire Power, Press Gang Publishers, 1995
- Best Lesbian Erotica 1999 (co-editor), Cleis Press, 1999
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- political, declarative poetryautoethnographic expressiondirect and emotive voice
- Recurring Motifs
- colonialism and resistanceIndigenous identitylesbian sexuality and desirecommunity and healing
Health
-
psychiatric hospitalization17歳で初めて入院、以降複数回入院歴ありEarly psychiatric hospitalizations affected life and creative themes, influencing later activism and writing.
-
substance use disorder / alcoholism青年期から成人期にかけてReflected in writing as experiences of recovery and self-expression.
-
sexual abuse (childhood)児童期Trauma influenced thematic focus and political stance in work.
Legacy
Chrystos is regarded as a political poet centering Indigenous, lesbian, and social justice themes, remaining an influential voice in feminist and Indigenous literatures.
Archives
- University of Minnesota Voices from the Gaps (biographical entry/archive)
Quotes
-
My social justice interests are diverse.
Source: 2010 interview (Black Coffee Poet) (2010)
Trivia
- Born Christina Smith and uses the pen name Chrystos.
- Illustrated many of their own book covers.
- Often published in Canada to work around censorious American publishers.