Professor nominated for national award

The following article was written by Ciara Brennan ('17) 

Lauren K. Alleyne, associate professor of English at James Madison University, has been nominated for the NAACP Image Awards for her book of poetry, “Honeyfish.” Published in 2018, “Honeyfish” is Alleyne’s second collection and the winner of the Green Rose Prize. 

Alleyne is the assistant director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center at JMU, the nation’s first academic center for black poetry, and the editor-in-chief of the center’s quarterly online journal The Fight and the Fiddle.  

“I write as a black, immigrant woman, and I am humbled and thrilled to know that my work has been acknowledged by this community through this nomination,” said Alleyne, who was born and raised on the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago. “I am also honored to be included in the numbers of such incredible artistic talent!" 

Furious Flower’s impact on black poetry cannot be understated. Of the five nominees for Outstanding Literary Works in Poetry, four have been to Furious Flower (Alleyne included). 

According to the official NAACP website, “The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.” 

The 51st NAACP Image Awards will air during a live two-hour TV special on BET Networks Saturday, February 22, 2020.  Voting is open to the public.

Media contact: Hannah Robinson, robinshl@jmu.edu, 520-222-2808

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