Jayne Cortez

Jayne Cortez (born May 10, 1936) is an American poet and performance artist.

Life
Born in Fornt Huachuca, Arizona, she grew up in California. She is the author of ten books of poems and performer of her poetry with music on nine recordings. Her voice is celebrated for its political, surrealistic, dynamic innovations in lyricism, and visceral sound. Cortez has presented her work and ideas at universities, museums, and festivals in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, the Caribbean and the United States. Her poems have been translated into many languages and widely published in anthologies, journals, and magazines.

She was organizer of "Slave Routes the Long Memory" and "Yari Yari Pamberi: Black Women Writer Dissecting Globalization," both conferences were held at New York University. She is president of the Organization of Women Writers of Africa, and appears on screen in the films "Women In Jazz" and "Poetry In Motion."

She married Ornette Coleman in 1954 and divorced him in 1964.

She is the mother of jazz drummer Denardo Coleman. She lives in New York City, and Dakar, Senegal.

Recognition

 * Arts International
 * the National Endowment for the Arts
 * the International African Festival Award
 * The Langston Hughes Award
 * 1980 American Book Award

Publications

 * Pissstained Stairs and the Monkey Man's Wares, Phrase Text, (1969)
 * Scarifications, Bola Press, (1973)
 * Mouth on Paper, Bola Press, (1977)
 * Firespitter, Bola Press, (1982)
 * Somewhere in Advance of Nowhere, Serpent's Tail, (1997)
 * The Beautiful Book Bola Press 2007
 * Somewhere in Advance of Nowhere, Serpent's Tail, (1997)
 * The Beautiful Book Bola Press 2007
 * The Beautiful Book Bola Press 2007

Audio
with Firespitter Band
 * 1974: Celebrations & Solitudes (Strata-East Records)
 * "Taking the Blues Back Home," produced by Harmolodic and by Verve Records
 * "Borders of Disorderly Time" released by Bola Press
 * "Find Your Own Voice" released by Bola Press

Filmo

 * "Yari Yari: Black Women Writers and the Future,"