Shay Youngblood facts for kids

Shay Youngblood (born October 16, 1959 – died June 11, 2024) was an American writer. She wrote novels, plays, and short stories. Youngblood also worked for a TV station in Atlanta and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Dominica.

Early Life and Learning

Shay Youngblood was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1959.

Many parts of her life show up in her stories. Like some of her characters, Youngblood became an orphan when she was very young. Her mother passed away when Shay was about two years old. She was then raised by a caring community of family members. These included grandfathers, uncles, and many women, much like the characters in her books and plays.

Youngblood was one of the first people in her family to go to college. She studied mass communication at Clark-Atlanta University. During this time, she helped with a project in Haiti. This work made her more aware of unfairness faced by poor people around the world.

After graduating, she joined the Peace Corps in 1981. She worked as an agricultural information officer in Dominica, a country in the Caribbean. Later, in 1993, Shay earned a special degree in Creative Writing from Brown University.

Writing Career

Shay Youngblood was known for many types of writing. She was a poet, a playwright, and a fiction writer. She also made and directed two short videos.

Her most famous works are her books: The Big Mama Stories, Soul Kiss, and Black Girl in Paris. Youngblood said that The Big Mama Stories was the most like her own life. This book is a collection of short stories. It tells about a young African-American girl named Chile growing up. Chile's mother died, so Chile and her brother live with a woman called "Big Mama." The whole community helps Big Mama raise the children.

Youngblood's stories and articles were published in many magazines. These included Oprah magazine, Good Housekeeping, and Essence.

Her plays were also performed widely. Some of her well-known plays are Amazing Grace, Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery, and Talking Bones. She also wrote a radio play called Explain Me the Blues.

Youngblood also taught creative writing at several universities. She taught at NYU and was a special writer-in-residence at the University of Mississippi. She also taught at Brown University and Texas A&M University. Shay Youngblood passed away from cancer in 2024 near Atlanta.

Awards and Honors

Shay Youngblood received many awards and grants for her writing. She won a Pushcart Prize for her short story, "Born With Religion."

Some of her other awards include:

• The Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award
• The Astaea Writes' Award for Fiction
• A 2004 New York Foundation for the Arts Sustained Achievement Award
• Several NAACP Theater Awards