African American literature and lore, and its invaluable contribution to American and world culture, is a frequent topic of my writing. I also write about migration, and how community, identity, and experience are built and shared in poems, essays, stories, and performances. I served as founding Curator of the African American Poetry Archive at Hampton University and founding Director of the UK's first BA Creative Writing program at the University of Bedfordshire. I now live in southern California, and spend much of my time on the water, while serving as Founding Director of the Center for Contemporary Poetry and Poetics, and Professor of African American Literature and Culture, Creative Writing, and American Studies at California State University in Los Angeles.