Steven Reigns
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Steven Reigns (born 1975) is an American poet, artist and activist.[1]
Reigns grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri in an abusive home.[2] Reigns frequented the library at an early age and discovered the works of writers that had a huge impact on him: Sapphire, Essex Hemphill, Dorothy Allison, Edmund White, Christopher Bram, Anaïs Nin, Irene Zahava, Amy Scholder, John Preston and Audre Lorde.[2]
He was Literary Director for The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Center of Tampa for two years.[3]
Reigns graduated from the University of South Florida. Later he organized Loving in Fear, a gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer literary event in response to Hillsborough County’s lack of gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer programming.[4]
He recently recounted the experience in a recent Watermark Magazine article about National Library Week.[5]
He was the first to speak to the commissioners about their discriminatory policy at the library.[6][7][8]
Reigns poetry, art, and activist work have made him a valuable speaker. Reigns has been keynote speaker at Rollins College,[9] Stonewall Library,[10] and at the American Library Associations Annual Breakfast.[2]
Reigns also headed a program in Pinellas County doing HIV outreach and testing to minorities in the inner city.[11] He has also assisted on a panel with Los Angeles County on standards of care for HIV.
Reigns has participated in several collaborative online projects, such as Heather Champs’ Mirror Project[12] and Anni Holm’s Getting My Name Out There.[13]
He is still motivated and moved by his early library influences. He is an Anaïs Nin scholar[14] and presented at The Sapphire Symposium.[15]
Reigns has written three books of poetry, Your Dead Body is My Welcome Mat, Ignited, and Cartography. He is at work on a new collection Inheritance.[16] He has been published in Velvet Mafia,[17] a poetry chapbook on gay and lesbian’s response to war, Outside the Green Zone,[18] was Mr. November in the Most Intriguing and Sentual Male Poet Calendar.[19]
His artwork has been shown in galleries throughout the country.[20][21]
In January of 2007, Reigns embarked on a 7 years living/art project under the mentorship of Linda Montano.[22]
[edit] References
- ^ Steven Reigns :: Poet, Artist, Educator
- ^ a b c ALA | 2004
- ^ Velvet Mafia's Hit List - Contributor's Bios Issue 17
- ^ Citytimes: Literary showcase honors gay authors
- ^ Watermark Online - Florida's Distinctive Gay & Lesbian Publication
- ^ http://www.geocities.com/bocc2005tb/bc050615-pc.htm
- ^ Free speech or inappropriate content? - Bay News 9
- ^ http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/htv/caption/scripts/bc050615.rtf
- ^ http://media.www.thesandspur.org/media/storage/paper623/news/2005/03/04/News/Upcoming.Glbta.Banquet-883344.shtms
- ^ http://www.indynews.4t.com/_archives/0106/CBB.html
- ^ State: For blacks, AIDS silent epidemic
- ^ The Mirror Project | Steven Reigns | Valentine's Day
- ^ Web Biennial 2007 - Anni Holm - Getting My Name Out There: Steven Reigns, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, USA
- ^ Book Tastings
- ^ ASU Department of English Special Feature
- ^ Steven Reigns :: Poet, Artist, Educator
- ^ Velvet Mafia Presents Poetry by Steven Reigns
- ^ MySpace.com - Cleo - 48 - Garçon - ATLANTA, Georgia - www.myspace.com/outsidegreenzone
- ^ A Menendez Publication
- ^ http://www.studioinyoureye.com/press/RiskEsposure022004.pdf
- ^ MAGPIE » Arthur Magazine Bulletin No. 0078 - Arthur Magazine blogs for you
- ^ Goings On January 30, 2007
