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Tara Betts
Female
New York & New Jersey
United States - Share
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Tara Betts's Page
Profile Information
- Business or Professional Name:
- Tara Betts
- City, State, or Country:
- New York
- Current Goal:
- Publishing the first full-length manuscript.
I am also considering new teaching positions in the New York and New Jersey area.
- About Me:
- EDUCATOR
Tara Betts is a lecturer in creative writing at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. Tara Betts teaches writing and encourages literacy by working with arts programs such as Urban Word NYC. Tara, a Cave Canem graduate, received her MFA in Poetry from New England College and residencies from Ragdale Foundation, Centrum and Caldera and an Illinois Arts Council Artist fellowship.
In Chicago, she was an influential educator through Young Chicago Authors and the internationally-acclaimed Gallery 37. Tara co-founded GirlSpeak, a weekly writing/leadership workshop for young women. She has also conducted short-term workshops in schools, community centers, Ms. Foundation, City Girls (a substance abuse rehabilitation center for teen girls), Cook County Jail and Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, Louder Arts Project, Dodge Poetry Program, Cooper Union and London's Roundhouse.
WRITER
Her work has appeared in Essence, Obsidian III, Callaloo, PMS, Drum Voices Revue, Ninth Letter, Drunken Boat and Columbia Poetry Review. Her work has been anthologized in Gathering Ground (University of Michigan Press), Bum Rush the Page (Three Rivers Press), The Spoken Word Revolution (Sourcebooks), Power Lines (Tia Chucha Press), Poetry Slam (Manic D Press), Black Writing from Chicago (Southern Illinois University Press), ROLE CALL (Third World Press), These Hands I Know (Sarabande), Hurricane Blues: How Katrina and Rita Ravaged a Nation (Southeast Missouri University Press), Home Girls Make Some Noise: Hip Hop Feminism (Parker Publishing), Fingernails Across a Chalkboard (Third World Press) and Letters to the World (Red Hen Press). Her work will appear in Thomas Sayers Ellis' Breakfast and Blackfist: Notes for Black Poets (University of Michigan Press).
Tara has also been a freelance writer for XXL, The Source, Black Issues Book Review, Mosaic magazine, Black Radio Exclusive and other publications.
PERFORMANCE POET
Tara appeared on HBO's "Def Poetry Jam" and the Black Family Channel series "SPOKEN" with Jessica Care Moore-Poole. She has also been one of the writers/performers in girlstory-an intergenerational, multicultural women's performance collective.
After winning Guild Complex's Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award, Tara published her first chapbook Can I Hang? She also represented Chicago twice at the National Poetry Slam. She also coached and mentored countless young writers and performers that have participated in the Brave New Voices and Louder Than a Bomb teen poetry slams.
She has performed her work in Cuba, London, New York, the West Coast and throughout the Midwest at venues such as Arie Crown Theater, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Studio Museum of Harlem, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Bar 13, Cornelia Street Café, Bowery Poetry Club, Yerba Buena Cultural Center, The Metro, The Hip Hop Theater Festival, Ladyfest Midwest, the Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, poetry slams, conferences, several colleges, universities and numerous public, private and alternative schools.
In addition to having her work adapted by the Steppenwolf Theater’s production “Words on Fire”, her work from “Fingernails Across a Chalkboard” and “That Takes Ovaries!” has been performed in theatrical adaptations.
- Influences:
- Gwendolyn Brooks, Patricia Smith, June Jordan, Audre Lorde, Toni Cade Bambara, Marilyn Nelson, Lucille Clifton, Sonia Sanchez.
- My Affiliates:
- Cave Canem
- My Network Level:
- Social, Business, Collaborative, Expert Knowledge, Career Building, Learning/Methods, Media Sharing
- Industry or Career Field:
- Art/Entertainment, Research/Education, Non-profit/Community Building
- Services:
- Tara is available for consulting, readings, speaking engagements and hosting arts-related events.
Tara leads workshops on a variety of topics, including:
Creative Writing,
Performance Poetry,
Creative Nonfiction,
Poetic Forms from Communities of Color,
Revision,
Women Writers,
African American Literature,
Interacial Identity.
- Email Address:
- info@tarabetts.net
- Website:
- http://www.tarabetts.net
- Affiliate Ning Network
- http://blackwomenunite.ning.com
- What I'm Listening to:
- I tend to listen to all styles of music, the miracle of breath, laughter, the steady bass of heartbeats, children and the lulling patter of rain.
Birthdays
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Please see my video Ms. Melanin (A Dedication to the Black Woman) by Kamal Imani
Sincerely,
Kamal Imani
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kamalimani
Also,
Got Inspiration? Check out the inspirational hip hop & R&b song “I Will Make It” by Niva feat Kamal Imani
“I Will Make It” inspires you to keep the faith and believe in yourself! What more can we say! Keep your spiritual energy up and rock to this. And, remember to look to the person on your left and on your right and tell them “I Will Make It”! Can I get an AMEN?
Produced by Brother Jonathan of http://www.Newblackmusic.net Soul Griots Music Group RAI http://www.soundclick.com/niva http://www.myspace.com/kamalsupreme
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Thank you for your connection and friendship!
Kamal
I hope that all is well and positive on your end. I definitely hope that we keep in touch.
TAKE CARE!!!!!
I was pleasantly surprised to see that you joined the sojournals network. It has been a while since we last saw each other (AWP 2008). Definitely got to hook up.
Every thing's cool on my end. I hope it is same on yours? How's Rich?
You're welcome. Yes, I am...
Thanks for stopping by.
Peace
Afrika Midnight Asha Abney
Welcome. Enjoy your stay. Congratulations on being on the featured members.
Peace
Afrika Midnight Asha Abney