devorah major, a California born, San Francisco raised, granddaughter of immigrants, documented and undocumented, served as San Francisco’s Third Poet Laureate (2002-2006). She has two novels published: Brown Glass Windows and An Open Weave. In addition to her four poetry books and four poetry chapbooks, she has had two biographies for young adults, and a host of short stories, essays, and individual poems published in anthologies and periodicals. Among her awards is a First Novelist award from the Black caucus of the ALA for An Open Weave and a PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award for her poetry book street smarts. major was given a commission by the Oakland East Bay Symphony with composer Guillermo Galindo to create a symphony with spoken word and chorus, Trade Routes, that premiered in 2005. In June 2015 she premiered her poetry play Classic Black: Voices of 19th Century African-Americans in San Francisco at the San Francisco International Arts Festival featuring major, Brian Freeman, and the Destiny Mohammed Quartet. devorah major performs her work nationally and internationally, including places such as Venezuela, Jamaica, Italy, Belgium, Bosnia, Germany and France with and without musicians. Her passion for writing and performing her work is almost equaled by her delight in teaching poetry to people of all ages from young readers to seasoned elders. In addition to writing and performing Ms. Major is poet-in-residence at the San Francisco Fine Arts Museums and Senior Adjunct Professor at California College of the Arts.
