Grubbies

About Claudia

Hi, my name is Claudia Wilson. I'm a poet and social worker ( They & She). I'm from Cleveland & and Columbus, Ohio. I studied English and Black Studies in college. I received my MFA from UMass Amherst. I'm proud of the venue/spaces where I grew as a poet namely Columbus, and Boston ( Writer's Block, Cantab, and House Slam). These spaces have greatly contributed to my creativity and community. I'm a VONA fellow, a TWH ( The Writer's Hotel) graduate, and a Juniper Fellow. My chapbook is called GROWN, 2019, from Game Over Books Press. My forthcoming book is called Searching for Afrekete. I've been published in Winter Tangerine, Mass Poetry, and Passengers North. I'm a Mass Cultural Council Recipient, Academy of American Poets finalist, Sara Patton awardee, and Elizabeth George Finalist. I was also a Grubstreet Black Creative Writing Fellow. Due to my previous work in public health and community crisis centers, I think about trauma-informed practices and I am happy to offer sessions on this, too, and how you can build trauma-informed spaces. I am interested in the conversations that poetry offers me June Jordan, Sonia Sanchez, Audre Lorde, and Toni Morrison are the writers I return to. Other poets that I love are Tim Seibles, Ocean Vuong, Cameron Awkward Rich, Toi Derricotte, Vievee Francis, and Gayl Jones. My best advice for anyone who wants to write is to believe in yourself. Classes I've taught: I teach a poetry workshop with people at Manna Community Center in Western, MA. I've been on a panel at Grub Street that discussed diversity and writing. I've led two workshops on self-compassion and writing with grub. I've led several sessions for Grub Street teachers about Candid Conversations and teaching practices. I've taught three semesters of Poetry 456 at UMass Amherst I've taught at Smith College's Precollege summer program.