Clint Smith (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clint Smith III
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| Born | August 25, 1988 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Education | Davidson College (BA) Harvard University (MA, PhD) |
Clint Smith III (born August 25, 1988) is an American writer, poet, and scholar. He is famous for his book How the Word Is Passed. This book became a number one best seller on the New York Times list. It also won the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction. The New York Times even called it one of the top ten books of 2021. Clint Smith has also written two collections of poems. These are Counting Descent, published in 2016, and Above Ground, published in 2023.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Clint Smith is African American. He grew up Catholic in New Orleans. He went to Benjamin Franklin High School for three years. Then, his family had to leave New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina. They moved to Houston, Texas. There, he finished his last year of high school at the Awty International School.
After high school, he went to Davidson College. He graduated in 2010 with a degree in English. Later, he earned a PhD from Harvard University. A PhD is a very advanced degree. It means he did a lot of deep research in his chosen field.
Clint Smith's Career
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Clint Smith used to teach high school English. He taught in Prince George's County, Maryland. He was even named the Christine D. Sarbanes Teacher of the Year. This award came from the Maryland Humanities Council.
He then went on to study for his PhD at Harvard University. His research focused on how young people in prison learn. He looked at how education works for children who are sentenced to life without parole. He earned his PhD in 2020.
His Books and Poetry
Clint Smith is a talented poet. He was part of the winning team at the 2014 National Poetry Slam. This is a competition where poets perform their original work. In 2017, he received the Jerome J. Shestack Prize for his poetry.
His first book of poems, Counting Descent, came out in 2016. It won an award for Best Poetry Book in 2017. It was also a finalist for the NAACP Image Awards. These awards celebrate achievements by people of color.
In 2018, Forbes magazine put him on their "30 Under 30" list. This list highlights young people making a big impact. Ebony magazine also included him on their 2017 Power 100 list.
His second book, How the Word Is Passed, was published in 2021. It was chosen as one of the "10 Best Books of 2021" by the New York Times Book Review. He also won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for this book. This prize honors books that promote peace.
Clint Smith also writes for The New Yorker magazine. His work is in a collection of essays called The Fire This Time. This book is about race and was edited by Jesmyn Ward. Currently, he is working on a new book. It will tell untold stories from World War II.
Other Projects
Clint Smith is a staff writer for The Atlantic magazine. His article "Monuments to the Unthinkable" was a cover story in December 2022. It was also a finalist for the 2023 National Magazine Awards.
He also hosted a series called Black American History for Crash Course. This popular YouTube series teaches about different subjects. His series ran from 2021 to 2022.
Clint Smith is a big fan of the Arsenal F.C. football (soccer) club. He even played soccer in college. He has written several essays about the sport.
Awards and Honors
Clint Smith has received many awards for his writing and work:
- 2024 NAACP Image Award Finalist
- 2022 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nonfiction Winner
- 2022 Stowe Prize
- 2022 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism
- 2021 National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction
- 2021 New York Times "Best Books of 2021 List"
- 2021 Time Magazine "10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2021"
- 2021 The Root 100
- 2021 GQ "50 Best Books of Literary Journalism of the 21st Century"
- 2021 Andrew W Mellon Foundation Fellow-in-Residence
- 2020 Emerson Fellow at New America
- 2018 Forbes' "30 Under 30"
- 2018 Art for Justice Grantee
- 2017 NAACP Image Award Finalist
- 2017 Literary Award for Best Poetry Book
- 2017 Ebony's Power 100 List
- 2014 National Poetry Slam Winner
- 2013 Christine D. Sarabanes Teacher of the Year
Personal Life
Clint Smith lives in Maryland with his wife and their two children.
