Lisa Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lisa Jones
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| Born | August 15, 1961 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Yale University (B.A.) New York University (M.F.A.) |
| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Spouse(s) | Kenneth S. Brown |
| Parent(s) | Hettie Jones and Amiri Baraka |
Lisa Victoria Chapman Jones (born August 15, 1961) is an American writer. She is known for her plays, essays, and journalism.
Contents
Lisa Jones: Her Life and Learning
Lisa Jones grew up in two big cities: New York City and Newark, New Jersey. Her parents, Hettie Jones and Amiri Baraka, were both famous poets.
Lisa went to Yale University for her first degree. Later, she earned a special degree in Film from New York University. In 2004, she married Kenneth S. Brown. They welcomed their daughter in 2005. Lisa Jones is also Jewish.
Her sister, Kellie Jones, is a professor at Columbia University. Lisa also has a half-brother, Ras Baraka, who is the mayor of Newark, New Jersey. Another half-sister is Dominique di Prima.
Lisa's Journalism Career
Lisa Jones started working at the Village Voice newspaper in 1984. She wrote for the paper for 15 years. She was famous for her "Skin Trade" columns. These columns were so popular that some of them were put together into a book. This book was called Bulletproof Diva and came out in 1994.
Books by Lisa Jones
In 1999, Lisa Jones wrote a book about her own life. It was called Good Girl in a Bad Dress.
She also worked with the famous filmmaker Spike Lee. Together, they wrote three books about his movies:
- Uplift the Race: The Construction of School Daze (1988)
- Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Mo' Better Blues (1990)
Many of her essays have been collected in different books. One well-known collection is Bulletproof Diva: Tales of Race, Sex and Hair.
Lisa Jones's Plays
Lisa Jones wrote two plays, Carmella & King Kong and Combination Skin. She wrote these plays while she was part of a group called Rodeo Caldonia. This group was made up of African-American women artists.
Combination Skin was first shown in Hartford, CT, in 1992. A review in the New York Times newspaper said she was a "fresh talent." They also praised her "all-consuming vision." Combination Skin was later included in a book called Contemporary Plays by Women of Color.
Lisa Jones also created three radio plays for a series called New American Radio. This series was on National Public Radio:
- Aunt Aida's Hand (1989)
- Stained (1991)
- Ethnic Cleansing (1993)
Aunt Aida's Hand and Stained were made with Alva Rogers. Alva was also a member of the Rodeo Caldonia group. In 1995, Lisa Jones and Alva Rogers won a special award. It was a Bessie Award for their work together.
