Janis Mayes facts for kids

Dr. Janis Alene Mayes is an American writer, literary critic, and translator. She is also a professor who teaches about African and African American literature.

Early Life and Education

Janis Mayes studied French literature at Fisk University. She was a Fulbright Scholar, which is a special scholarship that allows students to study abroad. She also studied in Paris, France, at the University of Paris-Sorbonne.

In the 1980s, she moved to Syracuse, New York. She began teaching at Syracuse University in the Department of African American Studies. She is still a professor there today.

Her Work and Contributions

Janis Mayes has done a lot of important work in French and English literature, especially focusing on the African diaspora. This means she studies how African culture and people have spread around the world.

She is an expert in translating French literature. She has translated many collections of writings and books from French-speaking countries. For example, she translated A Rain of Words, which is a collection of poems from French-speaking Africa.

Mayes also directs a special study abroad program called Paris Noir. This program helps students learn about the history and connections between African Americans and "Black Paris." The program, run by Syracuse University, has helped create cultural programs at famous museums in Paris, like the Louvre.

Many famous people have been involved in her work, including singer Nina Simone and writer Toni Morrison. Janis Mayes was also on the board of the Toni Morrison Society. In 2004, she spoke with Toni Morrison at an event in Paris. This event celebrated the end of slavery in France. Mayes has also organized other literary events that honored Toni Morrison's contributions to literature.

Books and Translations

Here are some of the books and translations Janis Mayes has worked on:

• Taking the Blues Back Home/Ramener le blues chez soi, Présence Africaine (translation) – 2010
• A Rain of Words: A Bilingual Anthology of Women's Poetry in Francophone Africa, Irène Assiba d'Almeida (translation) – 2009
• The Blind Kingdom, Véronique Tadjo (translation) – 2008
• Mapping Intersections: African Literature and Africa's Development (with Anne Adams) – 1998
• Mayes, Janis A. (1998). "Review of Of Dreams Deferred, Dead or Alive: African Perspectives on African-American Writers". The International Journal of African Historical Studies 31 (3): 686–687.
• The City Where No One Dies, Dadié, Bernard (translation; Washington, DC: Three Continents) – 1986
• African Literature and Africa's Development (AWP) (with Anne Adams)

Awards and Recognition

Janis Mayes is a Fulbright Scholar. In 2003, she became the President of the African Literature Association, which is a big honor in her field.