Emanuel Xavier

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Emanuel Xavier by Derek Storm

Emanuel Xavier (born May 3, 1971 in Brooklyn , New York City , USA ) is an American poet and one of the most important poetry slammers in the USA, as well as LGBT activist and activist against the homelessness of young people, especially minorities. He has appeared on poetry slams around the world with his poetry.

Career

Xavier, of Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian descent, was expelled from the house by his mother after his coming out and initially lived homeless on the street, where he hired himself as a dealer, prostitute and callboy . He then found a job as a salesman in a gay bookstore. Working with books inspired him to deal with literature and poetry and he wrote poems, which he read publicly as a poetry slammer.

In 1997 he published his first own volume of poetry, "Pier Queen", which he self- published and which was very well received in the New York subculture scene. A new edition appeared in 2012. Since then, Xavier has worked as a lyric poet and poetry slammer, occasionally as an actor in independent productions.

In 2005 he was seriously injured by an attack by a homophobic youth gang and lost his right ear. But it was precisely this experience that led him to fight homophobia and homelessness .

Many television appearances, including on HBO and countless appearances as a poetry slammer across the United States, made him known across the country from the 2000s.

Some of his poems have been translated into Spanish, French and Romanian. He is also the editor of Latin and gay anthologies .

As a poetry slammer, he has performed abroad in Buenos Aires , Guayaquil , Paris , London and Ghent, among others .

In 2008 he received the World Pride Award. Emanuel Xavier lives in Brooklyn.

Work (selection)

  • Pier Queen, 1997, reprint 2012, poetry.
  • If Jesus were gay and other Poems, Poetry, 2010.
  • Americano- Growing up gay and latino in the USA, 2012, short story book.
  • Nefarious, lyric poetry, 2013.

Web links

Commons : Emanuel Xavier  - Collection of images, videos and audio files