Saeed Jones
American poet (born 1985)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saeed Jones (born November 26, 1985)[1] is an American writer and poet. His debut collection Prelude to Bruise was named a 2014 finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry. His second book, a memoir, How We Fight for Our Lives won the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction in 2019.
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Rutgers University–Newark (MFA)
- Prelude to Bruise
- How We Fight for Our Lives
- Alive at the End of the World
Saeed Jones | |
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Saeed Jones at BookExpo 2019 | |
| Born | November 26, 1985 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Western Kentucky University (BA) Rutgers University–Newark (MFA) |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | Pushcart Prize |
| Website | |
| readsaeedjones | |
Early life
Jones was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Lewisville, Texas.[2] He attended college at Western Kentucky University, then earned an MFA in Creative Writing at Rutgers University–Newark.[3][4]
Career
Poetry
Jones released his debut poetry chapbook in 2011. Titled When the Only Light is Fire, it was the top-selling book in the Gay Poetry category on Amazon for several weeks.[4]
In 2014, Jones published his first full-length poetry collection, Prelude to Bruise. NPR called it "brilliant, unsparing," "visceral and affecting."[5] The Kenyon Review said the work "evokes a perilous, often mythic, eroticism within a brutalizing context of violence."[6] TIME Magazine recommended it as "an engrossing read best consumed in as few sittings as possible."[7] It was a 2014 finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for poetry.[8]
In September 2022, Jones published another poetry collection, Alive at the End of the World.[9][10]
Jones has been a winner of the Pushcart Prize, the Joyce Osterwell Award for Poetry from the PEN Literary Awards,[11] and the Stonewall Book Award-Barbara Gittings Award for Literature, and a nominee for the 2014 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. Jones has been featured on PBS NewsHour's poetry series[12] and on So Popular! with Janet Mock on MSNBC.[13] He was featured on the cover of Hello Mr. in 2015.[14]
Prose and other projects
Jones previously worked for BuzzFeed as the founding LGBT editor and its executive culture editor.[15][16] While at BuzzFeed, Jones cohosted BuzzFeed News' morning show AM to DM from fall 2017 until mid-2019.[17] Jones also wrote an advice column for BuzzFeed's READER newsletter entitled "Dear Ferocity."[18]
His memoir How We Fight for Our Lives was published by Simon & Schuster in 2019. The New Yorker called the book's tone and content "urgent, immediate, matter of fact".[19] NPR called it an "outstanding memoir" with "elements that profoundly connect him to poetry" and to "many of us who grew up dreaming of a chance at upward social mobility".[20] The book won the Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction in 2019 and a Lambda Literary Award in 2020.[21][22]
In 2022, Jones's interview with Debbie Millman was featured on the Storybound (podcast) season 5 premiere[citation needed].
In August 2022, Jones launched a Sirius XM podcast called Vibe Check. Co-hosted by Sam Sanders and Zach Stafford, the podcast focuses on "news and culture from a Black and queer perspective."[23]
Personal life
Jones lives in Columbus, Ohio.[24]
Jones was brought up to practice Nichiren Buddhism and still does today.[4]
Bibliography
Poetry collections
- When the Only Light is Fire. Sibling Rivalry Press, 2011.
- Prelude to Bruise. Coffee House Press, 2014.
- Alive at the End of the World. Coffee House Press. 2022. ISBN 9781566896511.
In Anthology
- Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology. University of Georgia Press, 2018.
Memoir
- How We Fight for Our Lives: A Memoir. Simon & Schuster. 2019. ISBN 9781501132735.
