A.P.E.X. Presents Javon Johnson: “Selected Poems”
Published: February 15, 2023 | Author: Southern Utah University | Read Time: 1 minutes
Southern Utah University's A.P.E.X. Events is joined this week by associate professor, author, and spoken word poet, Javon Johnson. Join A.P.E.X. Events on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. in the Great Hall of the Hunter Alumni Center on the campus of SUU for Johnson's presentation entitled, “Selected Poems”.
Johnson is a renowned spoken word poet. He is a three-time national poetry slam champion and a four-time national finalist. He has appeared on programs ranging from HBO’s "Def Poetry Jam," to "The Steve Harvey Show". However, more than just Johnson's awards and recognitions stand out. Johnson received his Ph.D. in Performance Studies, Gender Studies, and African American Studies from Northwestern University. Johnson is an associate professor and director of African American & African diaspora studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Johnson has written and published several books and pieces of literature. His first book is titled, Killing Poetry: Blackness and the Making of Slam and Spoken Word Communities. Johnson dives deep into the complicated issues within the performance poetry space and how the large potential within slam and spoken word communities lies not just in literary work or altering power structures, but instead in working towards altogether different social relationships. Johnson most recently published his first book of poems, Ain't Never Not Been Black. Johnson has become a well-known and influential figure in the performance poetry space, and he continues to inspire many through his work.
A.P.E.X. Events is SUU’s premier weekly lecture series, with speakers and presenters invited from all areas of the world. While on campus, guests are invited to interact with students and faculty in multiple ways, with opportunities to connect and network in vast areas of scholarship. All A.P.E.X. Events are free and open to the public.
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