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Wanda Coleman

Wanda Coleman is a poet, short fiction writer, and performer.

Wanda Coleman

Wanda Coleman

Wanda Coleman is a poet, short fiction writer, and performer.

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Authors, Sports, Writers and Journalists
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Wanda Coleman Biography

Wanda Coleman is a poet, short fiction writer, and performer. Identifying herself as an "L. A. poet," Wanda Coleman not only grew up in Los Angeles, California, but also uses that city as her primary urban setting for the raw, imagistically graphic, and politically charged poetry and short stories that she writes. Desiring to "rehumanize the dehumanized," Coleman focuses upon the lives of the "down and out"; thus she populates her texts with working-class individuals struggling against daily indignities and social outcasts struggling simply to survive. The primary voice represented in Wanda Coleman's poems is that of the African American woman whose head is bloodied but unbowed, who is just as tough as the harsh city in which she lives.

Born Wanda Evans in Watts to George and Lewana Evans, Wanda Coleman found herself drawn to poetry as a young child, and, encouraged by her parents to write, she published several poems by the time she was fifteen. During the 1960s, she became a political activist and, influenced by Ron Karenga's Afrocentric "US" movement, wrote, as she put it, "for the cause." Later, resisting the rhetoric of political movements, Wanda Coleman conceived of her cultural role as that of the artist, not of the political activist or social scientist who felt compelled to be "Wanda the Explainer." Nevertheless, significantly shaped by the civil rights movement, she continued to write of the disenfranchised and dispossessed, and the themes of racism, sexism, poverty, and marginalization would continue to permeate her work.

Although she resists being defined by any one tradition, Coleman acknowledges that her writing has been influenced by the blues tradition and the music of the African American church as well as the prosody of such poets as Ezra Pound, Edgar Allan Poe, and Charles Olson. Moreover, attesting to the hybrid influences of a multicultural Los Angeles, Wanda Coleman's work has also been affected by a wide range of cultural images and sounds—from the visceral works of Los Angeles poets such as Charles Bukowski, to the Latino/a influence of the Southwest, to the rhythmic sounds of Black English vernacular. Despite the demands of her life—raising three children, often juggling more than one job— Wanda Coleman has found the time to write and perform her works. Since the late 1970s, Coleman has had many books published uncluding: Art in the Court of the Blue Fag (1977), Mad Dog Black Lady (1979), Images (1983), A War of Eyes and Other Stories (1988), Dicks-boro Hotel and Other Travels (1989), African Sleeping Sickness: Stories and Poems (1990), Heavy Daughter Blues: Poems and Stories (1991), and Hand Dance (1993).

Wanda Coleman has received recognition for her work: an Emmy for her writing (1976), a National Endowment for the Arts grant (1981–1982), and a Guggenheim Fellowship for poetry (1984). Coleman won the 1999 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets for Bathwater Wine (1998). In 1999, she published her first novel, Mambo Hips and Make Believe. Distinguishing herself from other African American writers from the South and the East, Wanda Coleman sees herself as a distinctly West Coast writer Despite her ambivalent relationship with Los Angeles, she remains dedicated to depicting the varied lives in the city, giving voice to the dispossessed, making visible the invisible, putting a human face onto anonymous statistics.

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  • How do I book Wanda Coleman to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Wanda Coleman for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Wanda Coleman, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Wanda Coleman or any other speaker of your choice.

  • What are the speaker fees for Wanda Coleman

    Speaking fees for Wanda Coleman, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Wanda Coleman are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Wanda Coleman, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

  • What topics does Wanda Coleman speak about?

    Wanda Coleman is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Sports, Writers and Journalists.

  • Where does Wanda Coleman travel from?

    Wanda Coleman generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.

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    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Wanda Coleman for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Wanda Coleman for your next private or corporate function.

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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Wanda Coleman or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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Wanda Coleman is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Wanda Coleman for your event is available upon request. Wanda Coleman generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jackie MacMullan, Jennifer Pharr Davis, Robin Quivers, Taiye Selasi and Angela Fedrick-Lewis. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Wanda Coleman for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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