Stonewall Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 20 (1993) Winner
Essex Hemphill
エセックス・ヘンフィル
Essex Hemphill
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1957-04-16 （Chicago, Illinois）
- Died
- 1995-11-04 （Philadelphia, Pennsylvania） age 38
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Chicago, Illinois → Washington, D.C. → Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Activist
- Active Years
- 1975-1995
- Affiliations
- Nethula Journal of Contemporary Literature, Cinque (spoken word group)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Maryland, College Park | — | Journalism | — | 1975年（1年生） | United States |
| University of the District of Columbia | — | English | 英語学士 | — | United States |
University of Maryland, College Park
Journalism
Period:
1975年（1年生）
Country:
United States
Left after freshman year
University of the District of Columbia
English
Degree:
英語学士
Country:
United States
Achieved degree in English
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship | — | poetry | National Endowment for the Arts | fellowship |
| 1992 | Lambda Literary Award | Brother to Brother | — | — | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Stonewall Book Award | Ceremonies | Literature | American Library Association | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual New Author Award | Ceremonies | — | National Library Association | 受賞 |
| 1993 | Pew Fellowship in the Arts | — | — | Pew Charitable Trusts | fellowship |
National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship
1986
Category:
poetry
Organization:
National Endowment for the Arts
Result:
fellowship
Lambda Literary Award
1992
Work:
Brother to Brother
Result:
受賞
Stonewall Book Award
1993
Work:
Ceremonies
Category:
Literature
Organization:
American Library Association
Result:
受賞
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual New Author Award
1993
Work:
Ceremonies
Organization:
National Library Association
Result:
受賞
Pew Fellowship in the Arts
1993
Organization:
Pew Charitable Trusts
Result:
fellowship
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Ceremonies: Prose and Poetry
1992 Poetry and ProseLargest collection of poetry and short stories, including recent work and selections from earlier collections Earth Life and Conditions. Addresses sexual objectification of black men in white culture, relationships among gay black men and non-gay black men, HIV/AIDS in the black community, and the meaning of family. Critiques institutionalized patriarchy and dominant gender identities.
Sexual objectification of black menHIV/AIDSFamilyLonelinessCritique of patriarchy
Brother to Brother: New Writings by Black Gay Men
1991 Anthology (edited)Sequel to In the Life, published after Joseph F. Beam's death from AIDS, compiling works by about three dozen black gay men, including Hemphill. Produced in the context of confronting AIDS.
Black gay experienceAIDSResistance
Conditions: Poems
1986 PoetryPoetry collection.
Personal experiencesSexuality
Earth Life
1985 PoetryFavorably reviewed poetry collection.
Personal experiences
Bibliography
- Ceremonies: Prose and Poetry (1992)
- Conditions: Poems (1986)
- Earth Life (1985)
- Diamonds Was in the Kitty / Some of the People We Love (1982)
- In the Life (1986, included)
Adaptations
- Tongues Untied (1989, poetry featured)
- Looking for Langston (1989, appearance)
- Black Is... Black Ain't (1994, appearance)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Rhythmic spoken word poetryAutobiographicalExperimental dramatization
- Recurring Motifs
- LonelinessBlack gay identityAIDSFamily conflictFetishism by whites
Health
-
HIV/AIDS1990年代 - 1995年Rarely discussed health publicly, wrote about experiences in 1994 poem 'Vital Signs'. Impacted writing and led to death from complications.
Legacy
Known for contributions to Washington D.C. art scene in 1980s and openly discussing African-American gay community issues. Posthumously honored with induction into National LGBTQ Wall of Honor, exhibitions, and republications.
Archives
- New York Public Library (Essex Hemphill/Wayson Jones Collection)
In Popular Culture
- Dedicated in Cheryl Dunye's Watermelon Woman (1996)
- Inducted as one of inaugural 50 on National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at Stonewall National Monument (2019)
- Exhibition Essex Hemphill: Take care of your blessings at The Phillips Collection (2025)
Quotes
-
In this now, we celebrate your life and language Essex. So celebrating, we know that we re-call you in what is largely, to borrow from another visionary, a 'giantless time.' The sheer giantry of your breathing presence has passed. Now present and future warriors—ourselves and others—will be compelled to learn, as you did and made manifest, that all hauls toward truth—toward venality; ardor, not arrogance; forthrightness, not cowardice.
Source: Words to Our Now (2005)
Trivia
- Began writing poetry at age 14
- Co-founded Nethula Journal in 1979
- Formed spoken word group Cinque in 1982
- Openly gay activist
- Lover and editorial collaborator of Joseph F. Beam