New Zealand Writers

SCOTT, L.E.

His work has been heavily influenced by the sound of both jazz music and the black church.

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SCOTT, L.E. (1947 - ) is an American-born fiction writer, anthologist and jazz poet whose work has been heavily influenced by the sound of both jazz music and the black church.

"The cadence of the Black Church is found in my words and the structure of my stanzas," writes Scott. "Combine this with jazz music and you have the essential elements of a jazz poet." He has performed with jazz greats including Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and New Zealand's Beaver.

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks describes Scott's work as "exquisite, distinct, definitely unique poetry," while Bruce Mason calls it "haunting and disturbing."

His first collection, The Coming of Lewis E. Scott (1972) was published in the USA. This Bitter Earth (1978) was his first New Zealand-published book.

In addition to his 13 books of poetry, Scott has published two collections of fiction, Songs for My Father (1983) and Black Family Letters from Boston (1994). As the titles suggest both books seem to have strong autobiographical elements.

Scott has edited three anthologies: Each Other's Dreams - Contemporary Black American Writing (1982); King's Cross Pub Poets (1985); and Wiimpatjai Bulku Pipinja - Black Fella's Message - Aboriginie Writers (1986). His work appears in numerous anthologies and journals in the USA, Australia and New Zealand, including all of New Zealand's major literary magazines. He is also extensively published in New Zealand and abroad as a book reviewer.

Scott's poetry collections are: The Coming of Lewis E. Scott (1972); Sheila & Lewis (1974); A Collection of Works (1973); Time Came Hunting Time (1978); This Bitter Earth (1978); Nothing But A Man (1981); Three Shades (1981); Nightfall (1985); Reflections and Rages (1986); Hour Of The Wolves (1987); In Celebration of My Spiritual Father James Baldwin (1990); A Woman Called Maasumaa (1995) and Earth Colours (2000).

Scott is currently the New Zealand editor for Kalimat, an Arabic/English literary magazine published in Australia.

(KC.)

Updated Information

Poems for Gwen was published by Earl of Seacliff Art Workshop in 2004. Some poems in this collection have previously been published in Poetry NZ, Takahe, JAAM and Paper Tiger.

Scott's latest poetry collection, Bones, was published in 2004 by Five Islands Press.

Writers in Schools

Scott is available to visit schoolchildren aged 14 and above as part of the Writers in Schools programme. He is prepared to discuss his own work and that of African, African American, Maori and Aboriginal writers. He will talk to classes of any size.