Doris Davenport (poet)

Doris Davenport, sometimes styled as doris davenport (born 29 January 1949),[1] is a writer, educator, and literary and performance poet.[2] She wrote an essay featured in Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, titled The Pathology of Racism: A Conversation with Third World Wimmin. She also focuses her efforts on poetry and education.

Davenport identifies as African American, Appalachian, Feminist, and LGBTQ, which all heavily influence her writings. Today, she holds many workshops and poetry performances.[3]

Early life and education

Davenport was born in Gainesville, Florida and raised in Cornelia, Georgia.[4] She often mentions her life growing up in the Appalachian foothills and has written many poems published in the Appalachian Heritage. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English from Paine College. She earned a Mater of Arts (MA) in English from the University at Buffalo. Her Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Literature was obtained from the University of Southern California.[5]

Themes in Writing

Feminism

In her most renowned essay The Pathology of Racism: A Conversation with Third World Wimmin mentioned in This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color she speaks heavily of the differences between the races regarding feminism. Davenport considers the privilege white women still have in forms of activism that impact the feminist community as a whole and challenges the perception of black women. These writings focus on the institutionalized privilege that white women inherently have and discusses how feminism between the races cannot be equated.

Sexuality

One of her influences as a writer is through her identity. As a self-identified lesbian, Davenport incorporates anecdotes from her life that revolve around her relationships with women. She also writes of the marginalization she faces by being a part of the LGBTQ and African American community. Her self-published collection of poems it's like this are one of eight works that mentions a variety of personal accounts told through poetry and prose. These show both the wonderful aspects of her identity through love and friendship, but also the difficulties of being in an oppressed community.

Culture

Davenport speaks often of her heritage and in many of her works, she expresses the pride and pain that comes along with being African American. Her themes follow slavery, the effects of modern feminism on her community, and the personal hardships she's faced through her lifetime. In her self-published work it's like this she makes a social commentary of black men and women's place in society. Growing up in the south, Davenport heavily incorporates her upbringing to reflect her childhood. Many of her works express her life living in the Appalachian Foothills as she has close ties to the area.

Career

Today, Davenport is a self-employed performance poet but has experience in being an educator. She taught at Albany State University and Stillman College in the English department. To date, she has published eight books of poetry and continues to give performances at colleges. She currently resides in Cleveland, Georgia.[6]

Works

Poetry collections
  • request. Imaginary Friend Press, 2014.[7]
  • ascent: poems. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011.[8]
  • a hunger for moonlight: poems. self-published, 2006.[9]
  • Madness Like Morning Glories: Poems. LSU Press, 2005.[10]
  • Soque Street Poems. Sautee-nacoochee Community Association, 1995.[11]
  • Voodoo Chile - Slight Return: Poems. Soque Street Press, 1991.[12]
  • Eat Thunder & Drink Rain: Poems. self-published, 1982.[13]
  • It's Like This. self-published, 1981.

Journal articles, essays, and poems
  • "... Can't Go No Further/Cause You Got Me/Chained and Bound." Appalachian Heritage 36, no. 3 (2008): 56.[14]
  • "Weeny (Wiener) Soup." Appalachian Heritage 36, no. 3 (2008): 52.[15]
  • "Red Dirt Blues." Appalachian Heritage 36, no. 3 (2008): 54–54.[16]
  • "hog killing time." Appalachian Heritage 33, no. 3 (2005): 79–79.[17]
  • "Miz Jones." Appalachian Heritage 33, no. 3 (2005): 80–81.[18]
  • "Lesson in Excitement." Appalachian Heritage 33, no. 3 (2005): 82–82.[19]
  • "Katharine Newman in the after World (s) or MELUS Goes to Hell." MELUS 29, no. 3/4 (2004): 548–553.[20]
  • "A Candle for Queen Ida." Black Music Research Journal 23, no. 1/2 (2003): 91-102.[21]
  • "Still Here: Ten Years Later..." Tilting the Tower (1999): 215–26.[22]
  • "Dismantling white/male supremacy." Social Issues in the English Classroom (1992): 59–75.[23]
  • "Pedagogy &/of Ethnic Literature: The Agony & the Ecstasy." MELUS 16, no. 2 (1989): 51–62.[24]
  • "Dessa Rose." Black American Literature Forum 20, no. 3 (1986): 335–340.[25]
  • "Waves & License." Black American Literature Forum 17, no. 4 (1983): 177–179.[26]
  • "Black Lesbians in Academia: Visible Invisibility." Lesbian Studies, Present and Future (1982): 9-11.[27]
  • "Dinner With the Orishas-Almost." Callaloo 16 (1982): 125–126.[28]
  • "The Pathology of Racism: A Conversation with Third World Wimmin." This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color (1981): 85–90.[29]

References
  1. Page, Yolanda Williams (2007). Encyclopedia of African American Women Writers. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33429-0.
  2. "Doris Davenport". The Feminist Wire. 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  3. "Doris Davenport". LSU Press.
  4. "doris davenport". Poets & Writers. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  5. "Doris Davenport". The Feminist Wire. 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2019-06-02.
  6. "doris davenport". linkedin.
  7. speakingofmarvels (2015-03-22). "doris davenport". Speaking of Marvels. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  8. davenport, doris, 1949- (2011-10-13). Ascent : poems. ISBN 9781463786137. OCLC 835118232.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. davenport, doris, 1949- (2006). A hunger for moonlight : poems. Tuscaloosa, AL: Doris davenport. ISBN 1427610673. OCLC 77568757.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. davenport, doris, 1949- (2005). Madness like morning glories : poems. Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 0807129925. OCLC 56591526.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. Davenport, Doris. (1995). Soque Street poems. Sautee-Nacoochee Community Association. OCLC 36685850.
  12. davenport, doris, 1949- (1991). Voodoo chile : slight return : poems. Soque Street Press. OCLC 26254260.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. davenport, doris, 1949-. Eat thunder & drink rain : poems. ISBN 0960868003. OCLC 10349918.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. Doris Davenport (2008). ". . . Can't Go No Further / Cause You Got Me / Chained and Bound". Appalachian Heritage. 36 (3): 56–57. doi:10.1353/aph.0.0080. ISSN 1940-5081.
  15. Doris Davenport (2008). "Weeny (Wiener) Soup". Appalachian Heritage. 36 (3): 52–53. doi:10.1353/aph.0.0069. ISSN 1940-5081.
  16. Doris Davenport (2008). "Red Dirt Blues". Appalachian Heritage. 36 (3): 54. doi:10.1353/aph.0.0075. ISSN 1940-5081.
  17. Davenport, Doris (2005). "hog killing time". Appalachian Heritage. 33 (3): 79. doi:10.1353/aph.2005.0117. ISSN 1940-5081.
  18. Davenport, Doris (2005). "Miz Jones". Appalachian Heritage. 33 (3): 80–81. doi:10.1353/aph.2005.0062. ISSN 1940-5081.
  19. Davenport, Doris (2005). "Lesson in Excitement". Appalachian Heritage. 33 (3): 82. doi:10.1353/aph.2005.0072. ISSN 1940-5081.
  20. Davenport, Doris (2004). "Katharine Newman in the after World(s) or MELUS Goes to Hell". MELUS. 29 (3/4): 548–553. doi:10.2307/4141880. ISSN 0163-755X. JSTOR 4141880.
  21. Davenport, Doris (2003). "A Candle for Queen Ida". Black Music Research Journal. 23 (1/2): 91–102. doi:10.2307/3593210. ISSN 0276-3605. JSTOR 3593210.
  22. Garber, Linda (1994-04-01). Tilting the tower: lesbians, teaching, queer subjects. Routledge. ISBN 9780415908405.
  23. Hurlbert, C. Mark; Totten, Samuel (1992). Social Issues in the English Classroom. National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. ISBN 9780814145043.
  24. Davenport, Doris (1989). "Pedagogy &/of Ethnic Literature: The Agony & the Ecstasy". MELUS. 16 (2): 51–62. doi:10.2307/467210. ISSN 0163-755X. JSTOR 467210.
  25. Davenport, Doris; Williams, Sherley Anne (1986). "Dessa Rose". Black American Literature Forum. 20 (3): 335. doi:10.2307/2904385. ISSN 0148-6179. JSTOR 2904385.
  26. Davenport, Doris; Booker, Stephen Todd; Plumpp, Sterling D.; Clarke, Cheryl (1983). "Waves & License". Black American Literature Forum. 17 (4): 177. doi:10.2307/2903980. ISSN 0148-6179. JSTOR 2903980.
  27. Cruikshank, Margaret (1982). Lesbian Studies: Present and Future. Feminist Press. ISBN 9780935312072.
  28. Davenport, Doris (1982). "Dinner With the Orishas-Almost". Callaloo (16): 125–126. doi:10.2307/3043978. ISSN 0161-2492. JSTOR 3043978.
  29. Moraga, Cherríe (1952-....). Anzaldúa, Gloria (1942-2004). (2015). This bridge called my back : writings by radical women of color. ISBN 9781438454399. OCLC 908431392.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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