Sapphire (author) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sapphire
Sapphire in New York City, 2021
Born	Ramona Lofton Fort Ord, California, U.S.
Education	City College of San Francisco City College of New York (BA) Brooklyn College (MFA)
Occupation	Author and performance poet
Notable work	Push (1996)

Ramona Lofton, known by her pen name Sapphire, is an American author and performance poet. She is famous for her powerful writing that often explores the lives of people facing tough challenges.

Early Life and Education

Ramona Lofton was born in Fort Ord, California. She was one of four children in a military family that moved around a lot. Her parents later separated.

Ramona left high school early but earned her GED certificate. She then attended the City College of San Francisco. Later, in the mid-1970s, she studied at the City College of New York and earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree from Brooklyn College. Before becoming a full-time writer, Ramona worked in different jobs, including as a performance artist and a teacher.

Career Highlights

Ramona Lofton moved to New York City in 1977. There, she became very involved in the world of poetry. She also joined an organization called United Lesbians of Color for Change Inc., which supported LGBTQ+ people of color. She wrote, performed, and published her poems during a time when Slam Poetry was very popular in New York. Slam poetry is a type of poetry where poets perform their work and are often judged by the audience.

Ramona chose the name "Sapphire" as her pen name. She felt it was a strong name that would look good on a book cover.

Her first collection of poems, Meditations on the Rainbow, was published by herself in 1987. Later, in 1994, she released another book of poems called American Dreams. This book was praised by critics as one of the best new poetry collections of the 1990s.

The Novel Push

Sapphire's first novel, Push, was a huge success. It was discovered by a literary agent, which led to a lot of interest from publishers. In 1995, Sapphire was offered a large sum of money to finish the book. Push was published in 1996 and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. The novel tells the story of a young woman facing many difficult challenges in her life.

From Book to Film: Precious

A film based on her novel Push was released in January 2009. The movie was renamed Precious to avoid confusion with another film released that year. The cast included talented actors like Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz. Mo'Nique won an Academy Award for her role as Precious's mother. Sapphire herself made a brief appearance in the film as a daycare worker.

Continuing the Story: The Kid

In 2011, Sapphire released The Kid, which is a sequel to Push. This book continues the story through the eyes of Precious's son, Abdul. Sapphire decided to write the sequel because of how much interest and discussion Push had created among readers and scholars.

Recognitions and Focus

Sapphire's writing has been studied and celebrated. In 2007, her work was the subject of an academic meeting at Arizona State University. In 2009, she received a Fellow Award in Literature from United States Artists.

Sapphire's main goal in her art is to bring attention to people and parts of life that are often ignored. She wants to show the world the experiences of women who have faced tough times due to poverty or other challenges. Her work helps to make these stories visible and important.

Her writing is also featured in the 2019 book New Daughters of Africa, which is a collection of works by African women writers.

Works

Novels

• Push (1996)
• The Kid (2011)

Poetry

• Meditations on the Rainbow: Poetry (1987)
• American Dreams (1994)
• Black Wings & Blind Angels: Poems (1999)

See also

In Spanish: Sapphire (escritora) para niños