Poet, playwright, teacher, and musician, Arisa White is the mind behind such works as Disposition for Shininess, Post Pardon, Hurrah’s Nest, A Penny Saved, and Frigidaire. Her poetry chapbook Post Pardon is currently in production as Post Pardon: The Opera (for which White received a Cultural Funding Grant from the City of Oakland). A member of the PlayGround writers’ pool, White’s play Frigidare was staged for the 15th Annual Best of PlayGround Festival. Her debut poetry collection Hurrah’s Nest was a finalist for the 2013 Wheatley Book Awards, the 82nd California Book Awards, and the 44th NAACP Image Awards.
Arisa White has received numerous residencies, fellowships, and scholarships, such as the inaugural Rose O’Neill Literary House summer residency at Washington College in Maryland. In 2010, she was selected by the San Francisco Bay Guardian for the “Hot Pink List.” White is a co-editor for HER KIND (an online literary community powered by VIDA), the editorial manager at Dance Studio Life magazine, an advisory board member for Flying Object, and a BFA Creative Writing faculty member at Goddard College.
At the San Francisco Writers Conference, Dr. Andy talked with Arisa White extensively about A Penny Saved, White’s book about cruelty, captivity, spirituality, and voice. Her poems shine with power and deftness.
Arisa White performed on April 3rd, 2014.
