Samiya A. Bashir

"I am of African descent and I am lesbian, and the two are equally important" -- Samiya Bashir

Samiya A. Bashir, co-editor, with Tony Medina and Quraysh Ali Lansana, of Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social & Political Black Literature & Art (Third World Press, 2002) is a poet, writer and editor. Bashir is currently editing Best Black Women’s Erotica 2 (Cleis Press), the second installment of the best selling series, due for release in January 2003. Bashir, who has published three chapbook poetry collections, Wearing Shorts on the First Day of Spring (Sistafire Publishing, 2000), American Visa (Sistafire Publishing, 2001), and Teasing Crow & Other Haiku (Sistafire Publishing, 2002) is currently completing her debut collection of poetry, slated for release by Third World Press in 2003. Previously Black Issues Book Review’s groundbreaking Senior Editor, and the Books Editor for Ms. Magazine, Bashir serves on the Editorial Board for Curve Magazine and NiaOnline.com. A fellow with the Cave Canem: African-American Poetry Workshop/Retreat, Bashir has won numerous awards for her poetry including being honored as the University of California’s Poet Laureate and winning the Astraea Foundation’s Lesbian Writers Fund 2002 Poetry Award. Her poetry, articles and essays have been published in anthologies, magazines and journals including Obsidian III, Kuumba: Journal of Black Lesbian & Gay Literature & Art #4, Contemporary American Women Poets, Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, A Christmas Collection, Arise, Other Countries: Voices Rising, Best Lesbian Erotica 2003, Poetry for the People: A Revolutionary Blueprint, Lambda Book Report, ColorLines, The American Journal of Public Health, and Warpland Journal. She continues to offer workshops for emerging writers and teach creative writing and poetry to adults and children through affiliations with universities, public schools, and city/state agencies.

Her writing has also appeared in Ms., Seventeen, Oxygen.com, BET.com, and the San Francisco Guardian. She is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley, where she was Poet Laureate of the university. She continues to teach creative writing and poetry to adults and children through affiliations with universities, public schools, and city/state agencies.

Source: Samiya A. Bashir
http://www.louderarts.com/poets/bashir/
http://www.fyah.com/treasure.htm

Articles: Be a Writer Right Now
Take Time for Your Writing
By Samiya A. Bashir

Folkfest: Getting Cozy With the Girls of Queer as Folk
By Samiya A. Bashir for Curve Magazine, November 1, 2001

S/M: Sexual Deviance or Sexual Freedom ?
by Samiya A. Bashir

Double Take
By Samiya Bashir