Scott, L. E.
IN BRIEF
L. E. Scott 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. His first collection, The Coming of Lewis E. Scott (1972) was published in the USA. This Bitter Earth (1978) was his first book published in New Zealand. Scott has been included in anthologies in New Zealand and overseas as well as journals and magazines. He has also been published abroad as a book reviewer.
ProfilePlace of residence: Wellington, New Zealand |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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 Zealands 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 16 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 Zealands major literary magazines. He has essays published in two 2007 anthologies, Fingernails Across the Chalkboard and Gwendolyn Brooks and Working Writers, both published by Third World Press, the oldest and largest independent Black publishing house in America.
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); Earth Colours (2000); Poems for Gwen (2004); Bones (2004) and Speaking in Tongues (2007).
Scott is currently the New Zealand editor for Kalimat, an Arabic/English literary magazine published in Australia. He is also an annual participant in the Gwendolyn Brooks Writers' Conference in Chicago.
writers in schools information
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.
Media links and clips
- L.E. Scott's file on the HeadworX website
- Blackmail Press
- Feature about L.E. Scott on the nzepc website
