My New Black Magazine - NYU Black Renaissance Noire BRN-FALL-206 ISSUE RELEASE | Page 200

Sterling D. Plumpp, blues poet and essayist, is the
author of fourteen books including Home/Bass, (1996)
Ornate with Smoke, (1997) Blues Narratives, (1999) and
Velvet Bebop Kente Cloth (2003). He is the editor of two
anthologies, Somehow We Survive: A collection of South
African Writing (1982) and Steel Pudding: Writing from
the Gary Historical & Cultural Society Writer’s Workshop
(2008). Plumpp is Professor Emeritus at the University of
Illinois at Chicago where he served on the faculty in the
African American Studies and English Departments.
Most recently, he served as a visiting professor in the
Master of Fine Arts Program at Chicago State University.
In 2009, Valley Voices produced an entire issue of its
journal, The Sterling Plumpp Issue, focused on his poetry,
interviews and critical explorations of his work. He is
the recipient of numerous awards as a blues poet and
African American cultural storyteller.
Eugene B. Redmond, poet laureate of East St. Louis
(IL), has produced several dozen books including Songs
from an Afro/Phone (1972), Drumvoices: The Mission of
Afro-American Poetry (1976), Memwars: Poetry, Prose &
Chants 1962-2012 and posthumously published works of
Henry Dumas. In 2007, he retired from Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville after teaching 40-plus-years in
the U.S. and abroad. Among his awards: An NEA Creative
Writing Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, two American Book
Awards and an Outstanding Faculty Research Award
from California State University-Sacramento.

Ishmael Reed’s most recent projects: A play, “The Final
Version,” that ran for five weeks at The Nuyorican Poet’s
Cafe until January 19th this year. Macy Gray recorded
his song, “Be My Monster, Love” accompanied by the
great David Murray’s group, Black Saint. Gregory Porter
recorded his gospel song, “Army of the Faithful,”
and “Hope Is A Thing With Feathers,” a song about
immigration. Baraka Books of Montreal will publish his
book, The Complete Muhammad Ali, in the Spring of 2015.
In September of 2014, he will receive the Furious Flower
Award at James Madison University in Virginia. On
October 24, 2014, he will be awarded The Distinguished
Alumni Award from the University of Buffalo.
Jane Rhodes is Professor of American Studies and Dean
for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Macalester College.
In January 2015 she will become Professor and Head of
African American Studies at the University of Illinois at
Chicago. She studies African Americans, mass media, and
social movements and is the author, most recently, of
Framing the Black Panthers: The Spectacular Rise of a Black
Power Icon (New Press, 2007).
Meha Semwal is a recent graduate from the College of
William & Mary, where she double majored in English
and Neuroscience. She will be teaching English abroad
in Japan this year, and matriculating at medical school
in Colorado the next year. She hopes to become a
physician-writer, like William Carlos Williams, except not.
A true Colorado native, she enjoys intense bouts of tennis,
hiking mountain trails, and romantic-novels-duringrainstorms on her days off.

Matthew S