Shonda Buchanan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1968 (age 57–58) Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Poet, memoirist, academic |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | BA, MA, Loyola Marymount University; MFA, Antioch University |
| Genre | Poetry, memoir |
| Employer | Western Michigan University |
| Notable works | Black Indian (2019) |
| Notable awards | Indie New Generation Book Award (2020) |
Shonda Buchanan (born 1968) is an American poet, memoirist, and academic whose work centers on race, identity, migration, and the intersections of African American and Native American experience. She is an associate professor of English at Western Michigan University, where she teaches in the MFA Program in creative writing, and is on the MFA faculty at Alma College.[1] She is also the founding literary editor of Harriet Tubman Press and a consulting curator poet for The Broad.[2]
Buchanan's memoir Black Indian (2019), published by Wayne State University Press, received the 2020 Indie New Generation Book Award and was included on the PBS NewsHour list of recommended reading on institutional racism.[3] It was reviewed in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Kirkus Reviews, and Foreword, and was a finalist for the 2024 American Legacy Book Awards.[4]
Early life and education
Buchanan was born in 1968 on North Edwards Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and grew up on the city's Northside and Eastside.[5] Her biography states that she descends from African (Mende), Coharie, Choctaw, Eastern Band Cherokee, and European ancestors.[2] When she was 8, her family moved to a farm in Mattawan; she returned to Kalamazoo at 16 to attend Kalamazoo Central High School.[5]
Buchanan earned a BA in English (1997) and an MA in English (2003) from Loyola Marymount University, and an MFA in Creative Writing (2010) from Antioch University.[1]
Career
Academic positions
Buchanan has taught creative writing, American literature, and BIPOC literature for over two decades. Before joining Western Michigan University, she held positions at Loyola Marymount University, California State University, Northridge, and Hampton University.[1][2] She is an associate professor of English at Western Michigan University and a faculty member in the MFA program at Alma College.[1]
Journalism and editorial work
Buchanan has worked as a journalist for over 25 years, with work published in the Los Angeles Times, Indian Country Today, The International Review of African American Art, and AWP's The Writer's Chronicle.[2] She is the founding literary editor of Harriet Tubman Press, which publishes books by and about African Americans.[2]
Works
Memoir
Poetry
- Who's Afraid of Black Indians? (Poetica Publishing, 2012) — nominated for the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Award and the Library of Virginia Book Awards[2]
- Equipoise: Poems from Goddess Country (San Francisco Bay Press, 2017; ISBN 978-0-9968350-5-3)
- The Lost Songs of Nina Simone (RIZE Press/Running Wild Press, May 2025; ISBN 978-1-960018-98-4) — a poetry collection exploring the life and legacy of Nina Simone[6][5]
Honors and awards
- 2020 Indie New Generation Book Award, for Black Indian[7]
- 2024 American Legacy Book Awards finalist (Autobiography/Memoir), for Black Indian[4]
- PBS NewsHour "Top 20 books to read to learn about institutional racism" (2020)[3]
- Three-time Pushcart Prize nominee and Best of the Net nominee[5]
- PEN America Emerging Voices fellow[2]
- Sundance Institute Writing Arts fellow[2]
- California Arts Council fellow[2]
- Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs fellow[1]
- Jentel Artist Residency fellow[2]
- Oxfam Ambassador[1]
References
- "Shonda Buchanan". Western Michigan University, Department of English. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- "Shonda Buchanan". Poetry Foundation. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- "What to read, listen to and watch to learn about institutional racism". PBS NewsHour. June 5, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- "2024 American Legacy Book Awards". American Legacy Book Awards. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- Staff (January 30, 2025). "A Kalamazoo poet's journey home and her upcoming book on Nina Simone, 'The High Priestess of Soul'". Second Wave Media. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- "With New Poetry Collection, MFA Alum Shonda Buchanan Honors Nina Simone". Antioch University Common Thread. May 20, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
- "Black Indian". Wayne State University Press. Retrieved February 25, 2026.