Aberjhani facts for kids
Aberjhani, born Jeffery J. Lloyd on July 8, 1957, is an American writer and artist. He is known for many things, like writing books, poems, and articles. He also creates art. One of his most famous works is co-authoring the Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance. This book won an award in 2004. He also wrote a book called The River of Winged Dreams.
Contents
Growing Up and Learning
Aberjhani grew up in Savannah, Georgia. After finishing high school in 1975, he went to many colleges. He studied subjects like journalism and creative writing. He attended Savannah State College (now University) and Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. He also studied at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Other schools included Temple University in Philadelphia and the New College of California in San Francisco. He also learned more about journalism in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Military Service
Aberjhani served in the U.S. Air Force. He spent two years in Fairbanks, Alaska. Then he lived in Suffolk, England for four years. After that, he served two more years in the Air Force Reserves in Charleston, South Carolina. He also studied human relations at a special school for the military in Florida.
His Writing Journey
Aberjhani chose his name as an adult. He said the name came to him in a dream. He kept writing even while he was in the Air Force.
Early Writing Work
From 1994 to 2001, he helped edit the Savannah Literary Journal. He also reviewed books for the Georgia Council for the Arts. He was part of the Poetry Society of Georgia. This is the oldest poetry group in the state. He became known for his spoken word poetry and published works.
National Recognition
His first big national work came out in 1997. It was an essay called "This Mother’s Son" in ESSENCE Magazine. This magazine reached about 7 million readers at the time. From 1999 to 2005, his poems often appeared in ESSENCE. This made him one of the most recognized poets in the United States.
What Inspired His Writing
Aberjhani has shared that he was inspired by big literary movements. These are like major trends or styles in writing. He helped create an encyclopedia about the Harlem Renaissance. This was a very important movement in the 1900s.
Key Literary Movements
Other movements that influenced him include Modernism and Surrealism. He was also inspired by the Beats and the Black Arts Movement. Later, Postmodernism and Existentialism also shaped his work.
Authors Who Inspired Him
He has also mentioned many authors who influenced him. These include James Baldwin, Albert Camus, and W.E.B. Du Bois. Other important writers were Ralph Ellison, Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston. He was also inspired by Toni Morrison and Alice Walker.
His Artworks
Aberjhani also creates visual art. He started as a visual artist in 2016. He took photos of how Hurricane Matthew affected Savannah.
Photography and Art Style
One of his photos was of the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge. This photo was used to help change the bridge's name. In 2018, he created a new art technique. He called it "Silk-Featherbrush Artstyle." His art is shown in his book Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah. It is also on the cover of Greeting Flannery O'Connor at the Back Door of My Mind.
Awards and Honors
- In 2006, Aberjhani won an award from Connect Savannah. Readers voted him Savannah Poet and Spoken Word Artist of the Year.
- In 2007, he became a member of The Academy of American Poets.
- In 2009, he joined the Red Room Hall of Fame. This is an online community for writers.
- In 2011, he received a special portrait of Michael Jackson by artist David Ilan.
- Also in 2011, he was listed in "The New Black" section of Best American Poetry.
- In 2012, he became a member of PEN American Center. This is part of a global writing organization.
- In 2014, LinkedIn invited him to be one of their "influencers." This means he could publish articles on their website.
- In 2019, his poem "Suzannian Algorithm Finger-Painted on an Abstract Wall" was published. It was part of a catalog for artist Suzanne Jackson.
Helping Others
Aberjhani started an online group called Creative Thinkers International in 2007. This group supports peaceful ways to solve problems. It was created after 9/11, when there was more war and terrorism.
Working for Peace
The group has over 500 artists from all over the world. They talk about human rights and how art can help keep peace. In 2013, he supported the Global March for Peace and Unity. In 2014, he signed the international Charter for Compassion. He wrote articles for this group about topics like social media ethics.
Community Action
In 2016, he joined the Span the Gap Movement. This group wanted to change the name of the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge. They felt the name was racially insensitive. He first wrote about this issue in his 2007 book The American Poet Who Went Home Again.
See also
- Poetry Life and Times
