emanuelxavier
GODS IN THESE GHETTOS
Brooklyn's Emanuel Xavier is author of the poetry collection, Americano, and editor of Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry. His work has also been published in magazines such as Genre, Urban Latino, Long Shot, James White Review and he has performed throughout the country as a spoken word artist. Raised by the many Houses of NYC's underground club scene to become one of the most significant voices to emerge from the spoken word poetry movement, Emanuel also created the annual Glam Slam competition, bringing together slam and ballroom culture.He has also been featured on Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry on HBO, In The Life on PBS and co-starred in the feature film, The Ski Trip on LOGO. He is currently working on a new collection of poetry and Suspect Thoughts Press is set to reprint his 1999 cult classic novel, Christ Like. Recipient of the Marsha A. Gomez Cultural Heritage Award for his contributions to gay and Latino culture and a New York City Council Citation for his contributions to NYC's culture,and a New York City Council Citation, Emanuel continues to survive as an individual and thrive as an artist.
Emanuel Xavier, is the author of the poetry collections, Pier Queen and Americano, and the Lambda Literary Award nominated debut novel, Christlike, reflecting his experiences growing up gay and Latino in the suburbs of Brooklyn and raised by the many houses of New York City's legendary West Side Highway piers (a la "Paris is Burning").
Emanuel Xavier's work has also appeared in Urban Latino Magazine, James White Review, Genre Magazine, Men on Men 7, Virgins, Guerrillas & Locas, Of The Flesh and Bad Boys. He has performed at venues as diverse as: Central Park Summerstage, Joe's Pub, Lincoln Center, Columbia University, Aaron Davis Hall, Riker's Island Prison, DePaul University, St. Mark's Poetry Project, Irving Plaza, The Henry Miller Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Le Petit Theatre, Tillery Street Theatre, Brown University, University of Chicago, Bowery Poetry Club and Nuyorican Poets Cafe, where he became a two-time Grand Slam winner.
He has produced several spoken word events such as the Realness & Rhythms poetry series, OUTSpoken, the annual Glam Slam and the Words To Comfort benefit for the World Trade Center Relief Fund.
"Emanuel's poetic tones inform the listener of the struggles one takes when attempting to create beauty out of decades of decay. It is obvious he has studied past voices and thus has been able to craft a unique sense of phrasing which is a synthesis of masterful wordplay and a deep sense of musicality.
" Poet Emanuel Xavier is one of the most significant voices to emerge from the neo-Nuyorican spoken word movement. He captivates audiences with a fresh and poignant brand of art that celebrates sexuality, Latino heritage and the often-brutal streets.
