Melba Boyd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melba Boyd
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| Born |
Melba Joyce Boyd
April 2, 1950 Detroit, Michigan, United States
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| Alma mater | Western Michigan University; University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Writer, editor and academic |
Melba Joyce Boyd, born on April 2, 1950, is an American writer, editor, and professor. She is a very important person in the world of African-American poetry. She has written 13 books and teaches at Wayne State University as a special professor.
About Melba Joyce Boyd
Melba Joyce Boyd was born in Detroit, Michigan. She studied English at Western Michigan University, earning both her first degree and a master's degree.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, she taught English. She worked at Cass Technical High School in Detroit. She also taught at Wayne County Community College. In 1979, she earned a special degree called a Doctor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan.
From 1983 to 1984, Melba Boyd was a Fulbright Scholar in Germany. This means she received a special scholarship to study and teach there. She has also taught at other universities. These include the University of Iowa and Ohio State University. She also taught at the University of Michigan–Flint and Wayne State University.
Her Work as an Editor
Melba Boyd used to be an editor at Broadside Press. This company was famous for publishing books by African-American writers. She has done a lot of work about Dudley Randall. He was the person who started Broadside Press.
In 2005, she won an award for her book. It was called Wrestling with the Muse: Dudley Randall and the Broadside Press. This award came from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She also made a documentary film. It is called The Black Unicorn: Dudley Randall and the Broadside Press.
Her Poetry
Eight of Melba Boyd's books are collections of her poems. She has won many awards for her poetry. One of these was the Michigan Council for the Arts Individual Artist Award.
In 1997, she wrote a special poem for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. This poem is carved into the wall of the museum. Melba Boyd's poems often use short, broken phrases. Her poems often talk about city life. They also discuss how class and race can divide people.
