Truth Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Truth Thomas
Born	Glenn Edward Thomas Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation	Musician, Poet, Publisher, Editor
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Howard University; New England College
Genre	Poetry, Music
Notable works	Speak Water, Take Love, Where We Stand: Poems of Black Resilience, The Skinny Poetry Anthology, Party of Black, Bottle of Life, A Day of Presence

Truth Thomas (born Glenn Edward Thomas in Knoxville, Tennessee) is an American artist. He is a singer-songwriter, poet, editor, and publisher. He started Cherry Castle Publishing, LLC.

Truth Thomas has written several books. These include Party of Black (2006), A Day of Presence (2008), and Bottle of Life (2010). His book Speak Water (2012) won a big award in 2013. It received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Poetry. He also wrote a children's book called My TV is Not the Boss of Me (2013). This book was a finalist for the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Award in 2014.

Truth Thomas created a special type of poetry called the "Skinny." He has also edited many poetry collections. These include Where We Stand: Poems of Black Resilience (2022) and The Skinny Poetry Anthology (2019). He is the main editor for The Skinny Poetry Journal.

Early in his music career, he recorded as Glenn Edward Thomas. His first album, Take Love, was made in 1982. It was produced by Don Cornelius, who created the Soul Train TV show. In 1992, he officially changed his name to Truth Thomas. He has been a Writer-in-Residence for the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society. He was also the first Poet Laureate of Howard County, Maryland. His poems have been in over 150 publications. These include The 100 Best African American Poems and This Is the Honey.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Truth Thomas grew up in a family that loved music and learning. His grandmother was a teacher, singer, and played the violin. His mother was also a teacher and singer. She was good at languages and played the piano very well. Many of his family members played musical instruments. He was always surrounded by music as a child in the South. He learned a lot from his family's music and from the music at Tabernacle Baptist Church.

In the late 1960s, his family moved to the Washington Metropolitan Area. He spent much of his youth making music at Rock Creek Baptist Church. Before he loved the piano, he played the violin, clarinet, and guitar. He went to Montgomery Blair High School.

After high school, he attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. He studied political science during the day. At night, he worked on becoming a singer-songwriter. While at Howard, he performed with a music group called Members Only. He played at clubs around the D.C. area.

In 1980, he left Howard University to focus on music full-time in Los Angeles. In 1981, Don Cornelius signed him to a music deal with Capitol Records.

Return to Poetry and Publishing

After living and working in Los Angeles and London for many years, Truth Thomas came back to the Washington Metropolitan Area in the early 2000s. This is when he started to seriously study poetry. In 2004, he went back to Howard University to study Creative Writing. He earned his Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree from New England College in 2008.

Current Work and Achievements

Today, Truth Thomas is very active as a poet, editor, publisher, and singer-songwriter. His work has been shown in more than 150 publications. His writing often talks about fairness and important social issues in the United States and around the world.

His poems have appeared in many magazines and collections. These include Poetry, Apogee Journal, and Callaloo. In 2010, he helped start a literary journal in Washington, D.C., called the Tidal Basin Review.

In 2012, Thomas started his own publishing company, Cherry Castle Publishing. That same year, he also returned to music. He sang with jazz saxophonist Roy Nathanson in New York City. In 2013, Truth Thomas won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry. This was for his poetry collection called Speak Water.

Awards and Recognition

Truth Thomas has received several awards for his work:

• 2008: Charles H. Chapman Award from Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity
• 2013: NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Poetry
• 2014: Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Award Finalist

Books by Truth Thomas

• Party of Black. flipped eye. 2006. ISBN: 978-1-905-23312-0.
• A Day of Presence. flipped eye. 2008. ISBN: 978-0-9818584-0-1.
• Bottle of Life. flipped eye. 2010. ISBN: 978-0-981-85842-5.
• Speak Water. Cherry Castle Publishing. 2012. ISBN: 978-0-615-62142-5.
• My TV is Not the Boss of Me. Cherry Castle Publishing. 2014. ISBN: 978-0-615-87794-5.

Music Albums

• 1982: Take Love. Capitol Records ST-12230
• 1996: Truth. Cherry Castle Records
• 2002: If The Spirit is Willing. Cherry Castle Records

Poetry Collections He Contributed To

• Melissa Tuckey, ed. (2018). "Urban Warming." Ghost Fishing: An Eco-Justice Poetry Anthology. ISBN: 978-0820353159
• Thomas Dodson, ed. (2013). "We Too, The Foundation." Best Indie Lit New England, Vol 1 (BiLINE). ASIN B00BB3EQHS
• Jane Ormerod, ed. (2011). "Jacob's Reflections After the Bout." Uphook Press Anthology, gape-seed. ISBN: 978-0979979231
• Nikki Giovanni, ed. (2010). "Harriet Tubman's Email 2 Master," "Mississippi Fretless," "I Love it When You Call Me Big Country." The 100 Best African American Poems. ASIN B005HKV8IQ
• Nikky Finney, ed. (2007). "Harriet Tubman's Email 2 Master,". The ringing ear: Black poets lean south. ISBN: 978-0820329260