World Literary Awards

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Jamaal May

ジャマール・メイ

Jamaal May

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1982 （Detroit, Michigan）
Nationality
American
Languages
English
Residence History
Detroit, Michigan

Career

Occupations
poet, professor
Active Years
2009-
Affiliations
Vermont College of Fine Arts, Kenyon Review
Influenced By
Vievee Francis

Education

Warren Wilson College
Degree: MFA
Country: United States

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The God Engine: Poems

2009 Poetry

An early collection of poems exploring religious imagery, urban landscapes, and corporeality.

urban lifereligious imagerythe body

The Whetting of Teeth: and Other Poems

2012 Poetry

A collection of shorter poems notable for sharp metaphors and attention to sound.

memoryfamilyurban life

Hum

2013 Poetry

A critically well-received collection that weaves Detroit sounds, mechanical rhythms, and personal history.

soundmechanizationpersonal history

The Big Book of Exit Strategies

2016 Poetry

A collection addressing transitions, escape, and strategies for exit in life.

escapechangeidentity

Bibliography

  • The God Engine: Poems (2009)
  • The Whetting of Teeth: and Other Poems (2012)
  • Hum (2013)
  • The Big Book of Exit Strategies (2016)
  • Anthology contribution: Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology (2018)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical style with strong attention to sound and rhythmsharp poetic imagery and metaphor
Recurring Motifs
urban (especially Detroit) landscapesmechanical/industrial imagerybody and memory

Legacy

A contemporary poet from Detroit known for community teaching and distinctive poetic work; praised for his attention to sound, rhythm, and urban experience.

Trivia

  • Served as a Writer-in-Residence with InsideOut Literary Arts, teaching poetry in Detroit public schools.
  • Was a Kenyon Review fellow from 2014 to 2016.