Camonghne Felix
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Cave Canem Fellow &
2019 National Book Award Long-listed Poet! 
This debut does not come quietly or shyly—Felix is an applaudable master of language, inventively carving and pulling at words and sounds to assemble the parts of this story, Here is a voice that commands, insists, reiterates, and consumes—a voice that has earned its right to shout freely with curiosity and aliveness and heart. —Morgan Parker, author of Magical Negro Build Yourself a Boat is one of the most soulful, genius pieces of art that has ever seen, felt and heard me. I tried to run away from these poems. They welcomed, understood and side-eyed my fear. I look forward to bringing this book into all my classes, my relationships and sacred rooms for the rest of my life. It's really that good. —Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy Key Topics
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Camonghne Felix, M.A. is a poet, a writer, speaker, & political strategist. She received an M.A. in Arts Politics from NYU, an MFA from Bard College, & has received Fellowships from Cave Canem, Callaloo & Poets House. Formerly the Director of Surrogates & Strategic Communications at Elizabeth Warren for President, Camonghne is the VP of Strategic Communications at Blue State.
Her first full-length collection of poems, Build Yourself a Boat (Haymarket Books), was long-listed for the 2019 National Book Award in Poetry and a finalist for the PEN Open Book Award and the Lambda Literary Award in Bisexual Poetry. The author of the chapbook Yolk, she was recently listed by Black Youth Project as a "Black Girl From the Future You Should Know." Felix's forthcoming collection of poems, Dyscalculia, and collection of essays, Let the Poets Govern, are forthcoming from One World, an imprint of Penguin Random House. As a political strategist, Camonghne implements, designs, & drives full communication & branding strategies for progressive campaigns & organizations while working across a range of issues including racial justice, gender equity, criminal justice, homelessness, & education. Formerly Camonghne was a Sr. Manager of Strategic Communications at Ms. Foundation For Women, the oldest feminist organization in the country. In 2015, Camonghne was appointed as a Speechwriter to Governor Andrew Cuomo, making her the first African-American female speechwriter, and the youngest speechwriter to serve a New York State governor. Felix's work has been published in BuzzFeed, Poetry Magazine, Apogee, The Offing, the Academy of American Poets website, & more. She's also been featured in New York Women's Foundation Magazine, Brooklyn Poets, Politico, Teen Vogue digital, Huffington Post & more. Twitter: @Camonghne Instagram: @Camonghne 
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Artist Offerings
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. . .Camonghne makes me think come on! let’s go! let’s move in this, through this, like somebody carrying on as she’s coming up, smoking and skipping, testing and testifying, sounding and sounding, studying black life, which is the only life, to learn how to carry, and nourish. Camonghne Felix’s poems sing this, and they do this, too.
—Fred Moten, author of The Feel Trio
—Fred Moten, author of The Feel Trio