Devorah Major

Devorah Major is an American writer, poet, performer, essayist, editor, recording artist, and professor. She has won awards in poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction and is San Francisco's third Poet Laureate.

Education and career Major born on January 8, 1952, the daughter of Reginald Allman and Helen Gabriel Major. She went on to graduate from San Francisco State University in 1976 where she studied African-American Studies and Health Education. Previously Devorah worked as a librarian. She became a part-time senior adjunct professor at the California College of the Arts.

Biography Major has toured Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, and the United States performing her poetry and speaking on panels focused on African-American poetry, Beat poetry, and poetry of resistance. She is the author of three novels, five books of poetry and numerous other single pieces of poetry and writings. Major's work tends to follow a general theme of being, family, and community. This theme can be seen in her first novel, An Open Weave, where the story focuses on members of an extended African American family. This piece of poetry contemplates a combination of what it means to be human with ideas about the universe.

Major has been involved in the Daughters of Yam, a poetry performance group with Opal Palmer Adisa, for over twenty years. This group as a whole has released two chapbooks, one book, a poetry and jazz cassette, and a poetry and jazz CD. Major has also edited and written six introductions for student poetry anthologies by the Fine Arts Museums Poets.

Prior to teaching at California College of the Arts, Major taught at New College, and lectured at Stanford University, San Jose State, and Humboldt College. She held workshops for poetry performance at Laney College and has led individual writing sessions.