American Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 11 (1990) Winner
Michelle T. Clinton
ミシェル・T・クリントン
Michelle T. Clinton
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- null （South Central Los Angeles, California, U.S.）
- Died
- null
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- South Central Los Angeles → Santa Monica, California
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Performance artist, Editor
- Active Years
- 1980-1995
- Affiliations
- Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Foundation, Highways Performance Space, West End Press (as editor/contributor)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of California, Berkeley | — | Political Science | — | — | United States |
University of California, Berkeley
Political Science
Country:
United States
Reported to have studied political science at UC Berkeley; graduation information not available.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | 受賞 |
American Book Award
1990
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Good Sense & the Faithless
1994 Poetry collectionA collection of poems addressing racist and sexist violence, sexual trauma, and community survival; includes poems engaging bisexual politics, feminism, and Los Angeles urban experience.
racismsexismsexual violencefeminismqueer/bisexual identityLos Angeles urban experience
High Blood/Pressure
1986 Poetry collectionAn early collection of poems addressing politics, the body, and community.
politicscorporealitycommunity
Invocation L.A.: Urban Multicultural Poetry (editor/co-editor)
1989 Anthology (editor)An anthology gathering urban multicultural poetry from Los Angeles; Clinton served as a co-editor.
multiculturalismurban poetry
Bibliography
- High Blood/Pressure (1986)
- Invocation L.A.: Urban Multicultural Poetry (ed., 1989)
- Good Sense & the Faithless (1994)
- CD: Black Angels (with Wanda Coleman, 1988)
- CD: Blood As A Bright Color (1993)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Incorporation of Black vernacular speech; a spoken-word and performative poetic styleExperimental orthography (use of lowercase, ampersands, abbreviations like 'w/')Direct, emotionally charged, and political subject matter
- Recurring Motifs
- sexual violence and healingbisexuality and queer politicsurban violence and povertywomen's experiences and feminism
Legacy
An important figure in the Los Angeles performance poetry and multicultural literary scene of the 1980s–90s. Recognized for work intersecting feminism, queer theory, and Black politics, and for influence through workshops and performances. Online information is limited but she is repeatedly referenced in histories of that era.
Archives
- VIAF (authority file)
- Library of Congress
- SNAC (Social Networks and Archival Context)
In Popular Culture
- Frequently referenced in histories of Los Angeles poetry and regional cultural histories
Quotes
-
"I don’t think the writing saved me, but I think being dedicated to the writing helped me save myself."
Source: Interview quoted in various sources (Penelope Moffett) (2000)
Trivia
- Incorporates Black vernacular, uses lowercase and abbreviations, and frequent ampersands in written form.
- Released a collaborative CD 'Black Angels' (1988) with Wanda Coleman and a solo CD 'Blood As A Bright Color' (1993).
- Active in Los Angeles venues such as Beyond Baroque and Highways; led multicultural women's poetry workshops.
- Winner of the American Book Award in 1990.
- Disappeared from the Los Angeles creative scene in the mid-1990s; limited online information.