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Jeanann Verlee (born in 1975) is an American author, performance poet, editor and activist. Her first book of poems Racing Hummingbirds, published in 2010 received the Independent Publisher Book Award Silver Medal in Poetry.[1] Verlee also won the Sandy Crimmins National Prize for Poetry. Currently she edits poetry for Union Station Magazine [1] and the Poets Portrait Project Anthology. She tours performing and facilitating workshops across North America.[2]

Life

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Born in Denver, Colorado, Verlee studied theatre performance and creative writing. She wrote her first poem at age seven and by age eleven become the youngest winner of Parade Magazine's Young American Ambassadors prize for her essay. By fifteen she nearly completed her first novel but never finished. Also at fifteen, Verlee was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, now a common theme in her poetry. She became the co-author and performer of The Vortex: Conflict, Power, and Choice! a touring company that performed nationally on themes of domestic violence. Currently she edits poetry, coaches poetry slam teams, and since 2010 has curated the Urbana Poetry Slam Series [3] at the Bowery Poetry Club [2] with Taylor Mali, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, and Shappy Seasholtz. [4] Verlee has represented New York City six times with her team "louderARTS Project" at the National Poetry Slam which has made it to the finals several years in a row.[5] She has also been a part of the Urbana Poetry Slam team. Verlee represented NYC-louderARTS at the 2010 Women of the World Poetry Slam. She is a passionate animal rights and humanitarian activist. She has organized and participated in several social actions and letter-writing campaigns. She lives in New York City with her dog and two lovebirds.

Poetry/Performance

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Verlee's poetry focuses on themes of mental and physical abuse, relationships, sex, adolescence, and mental illness. She is known for her brutal honesty and the intimacy she creates with her audience.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).

References

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  1. ^ a b "Jeanann Verlee Bio". Retrieved March 21, 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ Verlee, Jeanann (June 4, 2012). "Lessons in Alone". The Nervous Breakdown. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  3. ^ "Bowery Poetry Club - Urbana Poetry Slam". Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  4. ^ "Urbana Poetry Slam". Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  5. ^ "Adversity in Verse". The Economist. August 14, 2008. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  6. ^ "Announcing the Results of the 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards". Independent Publisher. May 25, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2013.
  7. ^ Edwards, Stevie (November 16, 2010). "Pushcart Prize Nominations". Muzzle Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  8. ^ "Why, hello there". National Poetry Slam. Retrieved March 20, 2013.

Further Reading

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See also

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