Danez Smith

Danez Smith is a Black, queer, poz writer & performer from St. Paul, MN. Danez is the author of [insert] boy (YesYes Books, 2014), winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry, and Don’t Call Us Dead (Graywolf Press, 2017). Danez is also the author of two chapbooks, hands on your knees (2013, Penmanship Books) and black movie (2015, Button Poetry), winner of the Button Poetry Prize.

They are the recipient of fellowships from the Poetry Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, and is a 2017 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow. Danez's work has been featured widely including in on Buzzfeed, Blavity, PBS NewsHour, and on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. They are a 2-time Individual World Poetry Slam finalist, 3-time Rustbelt Poetry Slam Champion, and a founding member of the Dark Noise Collective.

Danez was featured in American Academy of Poet's Emerging Writers Series by National Book Award Finalist Patricia Smith. Like her, Danez bridges the poetics of the stage to that of the page. Danez's work transcends arbitrary boundaries to present work that is gripping, dismantling of oppression constructs, and striking on the human heart. Often centered around intersections of race, class, sexuality, faith, and social justice, Danez uses rhythm, fierce raw power, and image to re-imagine the world as takes it apart in their work.

Past Shows


Aug
18
th
2017
7th St Entry
Aug
18
th
2017
7th St Entry

K.Raydio

with Sammus, DJ Keezy, BatMN and more!

More Shows

Feb
21
st
First Avenue

Muscadine Bloodline

with Lance Roark
Feb
20
th
Fine Line

Jamie Miller

Dec
7
th
Turf Club

Bloodline, Vinny Franco and the Love Channel, Tarias and the Sound, and The Dalmatian Club

Dec
5
th
Turf Club

Little Fevers

with Pleasure Horse, Betty Won't and Echo Parlor