Constance Merritt

Poet

Louisville, KY
Kentucky US

Author's Bio

Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 1966, and educated at the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock, Constance Merritt is the author of three collections of poems: A Protocol for Touch (University of North Texas Press, 2000), Blessings and Inclemencies (Louisiana State University Press, 2007), and Two Rooms (Louisiana State University Press, 2009). From 2003 to 2005 she served as the Margaret Banister Writer-in-Residence at Sweet Briar College. She lives in Louisville, KY.

Publications & Prizes

Anthologies:
Angles of Ascent: A Norton Anthology of Contemporary African American Poetry (W. W. Norton & Company, 2013)
,
American Poetry: The Next Generation (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2000)
Books:
Blind Girl Grunt: The Selected Blues Lyrics and Other Poems (Headmistress Press, 2017)
,
Two Rooms, poems (Louisiana State University Press, 2009)
,
Blessings and Inclemencies (Louisiana State University Press, 2007)
,
A Protocol for Touch (University of North Texas Press, 2000)
Journals:
Callaloo
, , , , , ,
The New Yorker
,
Women's Review of Books
Prizes won: 

Vassar Miller Prize in Poetry;
Rona Jaffe Writers' Foundation Award;
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University Fellowship;
Cave Canem Fellow;
Porter Prize for Literary Excellence

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
African American, Christian, Disabled, LGBTQ
Prefers to work with: 
Any, LGBTQ, Homelessness, Illness/Wellness, Mental Health, Disability, Incarcerated individuals, Seniors
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
Pine Bluff
Raised in: 
Pine Bluff,, AR
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Oct 19, 2016