Emanuel Xavier Granja (born May 3, 1971) known as Emanuel Xavier, is an openly gay American poet, spoken word artist, author^[1], editor, events producer and actor born and raised in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn. He transitioned himself from a street hustler and drug dealer to become one of the most significant voices to emerge from the neo-Nuyorican spoken word movement using political, sexual and religious themes throughout his work. His background heritage is Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian. He has conducted spoken word poetry workshops and produced benefits and events for queer youth organizations throughout the country and is considered a role model for queer youth, particularly queer youth of color. GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ... For other uses, see Author (disambiguation). ... Bushwick is a neighborhood in the borough of Brooklyn, New York, USA. Founded in 1661 by Governor Peter Stuyvesant as Boswijck, it is the site of some of the earliest settlements in Brooklyn that date to the middle of the 17th century. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... Politics is the process by which decisions are made within groups. ... Human sexuality is the expression of sexual feelings. ... Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ... The Republic of Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America, bounded by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean on the west. ...

Early years

His Puerto Rican father abandoned his Ecuadorian mother when he found out she was pregnant and was never heard from again. At the age of 3, he was sexually abused by an older cousin. At 16, he came out to his mother and was thrown out of his house. This is when he became a hustler at the West Side Highway piers where he first met members of the House and ball community which served as his makeshift family. He often credits Anji Xtravaganza as providing him with a temporary place to stay in her Lower East Side apartment and Willi Ninja for encouraging him to pursue his passion for writing during this period. Eventually, he reconciled with his mother (they now share a strong relationship) and returned back home to complete high school (Grover Cleveland High School (New York City)), where he graduated with top honors as President of the Student Association and Editor-in-Chief of the high school newspaper. He even attended St. John's University (New York City) for a few years. However, he dropped out after receiving his Associates Degree in Communications and soon became employed by a local drug dealer and made a living by selling drugs at some of New York City's most popular gay nightclubs, including The Sound Factory and Roxy NYC. It was during this period that he lived in the West Village and befriended drug dealer club kid, Angel Melendez, who was later notoriously murdered by club kid Michael Alig, and Othniel Askew, who years later would gun down Councilman James E. Davis at City Hall (who coincidentally awarded Emanuel Xavier a New York City Council Citation). Later, he became employed at a local gay bookstore where he rediscovered his passion for writing and moved in with his mother's gay cousin in the South Bronx. Sexual abuse is physical or psychological abuse that involves sexual behavior. ... Anji Xtravaganza in a still from the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning. ... Categories: Manhattan neighborhoods | Stub ... Willi Ninja (born William Leake in 1961) was a gay African-American dancer and choreographer best known for his appearance in the documentary film Paris is Burning. ... Grover Cleveland High School is a large, comprehensive high school in Ridgewood, Queens. ... St. ... Roxy NYC (sometimes The Roxy) is a popular nightclub located at 515 West 18th Street in New York City. ... // The West Village is part of the Greenwich Village neighborhood in the New York City Bourough of Manhattan, bounded by the Hudson River and roughly 6th Avenue, extending from 14th Street down to Houston Street. ... Andre Melendez (c. ... Michael Alig (born South Bend, Indiana, April 29, 1966) was the homosexual[1][2] founding member of the notorious Club Kids, a group of young clubgoers led by Alig in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Othniel Boaz Askew (1972 – July 23, 2003) was an aspiring politician who shot and killed his rival James E. Davis, a New York City councilman. ... James E. Davis (April 3, 1962 – July 23, 2003) was a New York City police officer, corrections officer and councilmember. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

Professional career

He self-published his debut poetry collection, Pier Queen, in the fall of 1997 through his own independent publishing house, Pier Queen Productions. The self-published collection was printed by The Print Center, which also printed poetry books by one of his favorite gay black poets, Assotto Saint. Without his own computer, the book was put together at a friend's apartment in Harlem during the summer of 1997. Signature poems such as "Bushwick Bohemia", "Deliverance", "Nueva York" and "Tradiciones" helped him gain notoriety in New York City's underground arts scene. He first distributed postcard versions of his earlier poems at the West Side Highway piers and gay clubs which he once frequented as a hustler and drug dealer.

He soon started putting together monthly queer spoken word events titled, Realness & Rhythms, at the now defunct A Different Light Bookstore featuring himself alongside his favorite queer spoken word artists.

In 1998, with the support of people like ballroom legend Willi Ninja and spoken word poetry icon Bob Holman, Emanuel founded the House of Xavier and created the annual Glam Slam competition. Held once a year, first at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and then at Bowery Poetry Club, the poetry slam competition featured four open categories such as Best Erotic Poem in Sexy Underwear or Lingerie and Best Love Poem in Fire Engine Red (alternately Best Bitter Break Up Poem in Blue). Winners of each category received a trophy and went on to compete for the Grand Prize title of Glam Slam Champion. The event, hosted every year by Mother Diva Xavier (ne Andre Rodriguez), aspired to bring together poetry slams and ball culture in a unique and vibrant contribution to the downtown arts scene. Willi Ninja (born William Leake in 1961) was a gay African-American dancer and choreographer best known for his appearance in the documentary film Paris is Burning. ... Bob Holman Bob Holman is a poet and poetry activist in the United States. ... The Nuyorican Poets Cafe is a New York City performance venue, best known for slam poetry, but also presenting theater, stand-up comedy, Latin jazz, hip-hop performance, and screenplay readings, the café is a non-profit organization. ... Bowery Poetry Club. ... Nuyorican Poets Cafe, New York City A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work (or, more rarely, that of others). ... Ball culture, the house system, the ballroom community and similar terms describe the underground subculture in the United States in which people walk (i. ...

Painted Leaf Press, a small independent press which soon went out of business, published his debut novel, a semi-autobiographical book titled Christ Like, in 1999. The only full length novel he has ever published, Christ Like became a cult classic and is rumored to be reprinted by Suspect Thoughts Press for a ten year anniversary in 2009. The story is about a young Latino gay man caught up in New York City's club scene who also happens to be a drug dealer and prostitute. The main character, Mikey X, is a survivor of sexual abuse and a difficult childhood which mirrors much of the author's personal life experiences. It is also the first time a fictional main character is involved with the House scene profiled in Jennie Livingston's award-winning documentary; Paris Is Burning (film) (despite misinformation, he is not the young Latin boy that appears toward the end of the documentary referring to his friend as his "sister"). Christ Like was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and established Emanuel Xavier as a central figure in the queer people of color literary arts movement. Paris Is Burning is a 1990 documentary film directed by Jennie Livingston. ... The Lambda Literary Foundation seeks to support the creation and dissemination of writings by, for and about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. ...

In 2001, soon after 9/11, Emanuel Xavier was one of the leading forces behind a major poetry benefit titled, Words To Comfort, held at the New School in collaboration with Ratapallax Press. The event brought together major spoken word artists, poets, poet laureates, actors and musicians to raise money for the World Trade Center Disaster Relief Fund. It was one of the most successful events he helped organize and Emanuel Xavier would go on to produce other major spoken word events to benefit organizations such as the Latino Commission on AIDS, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and Youth Enrichment Services. The date that commonly refers to the attacks on United States citizens on September 11, 2001 (see the September 11, 2001 Attacks). ...

Americano, published by Suspect Thoughts Press in 2002, helped further his career as a spoken word artist and poet with signature poems such as "Children of Magdalene", "Nearly God" and the title poem.

In 2005, Suspect Thoughts Press published Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry, a collection Emanuel Xavier edited. The anthology featured the work of thirteen openly queer spoken word artists and new work by the editor himself including: "Legendary", "Outside" and "A Simple Poem." The collection earned him his second Lambda Literary Award nomination. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Lambda Literary Foundation seeks to support the creation and dissemination of writings by, for and about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. ...

He has been featured on television on Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO (Seasons 3 & 5), In The Life on PBS and hosted several editions of Out At The Center on Manhattan Neighborhood Network. He also appears in the Wolfgang Busch documentary How Do I Look. Russell Simmons (born October 4, 1957 in Queens, New York), is an American entrepreneur, the co-founder, with Rick Rubin, of the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam, founder of another label, Russell Simmons Music Group, and creator of the clothing fashion line Phat Farm. ... Def Poetry, also known as Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry or Def Poetry Jam, is an HBO television series produced by hip-hop music entrepreneur Russell Simmons. ... For other uses, see HBO (disambiguation). ... In The Life is a television series that first broadcasted on PBS in June 1992 and is still running. ... Note: Public Broadcasting Services is a broadcaster in Malta. ...

He has also appeared on Mark Kostabi's game show, Name That Painting, as a celebrity guest alongside editor Bonnie Fuller and percussionist Jerry Marotta. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bonnie Fuller was the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, Glamour magazine (beginning in 1998), and Us Weekly. ... Jerry Marotta (born February 6, 1956) is a drummer born in Cleveland, Ohio. ...

He has been invited to recite his poetry throughout the country at venues such as: Rikers Island Prison, Lincoln Center, Columbia University, DePaul University, St. Mark's Poetry Project, Irving Plaza, The Henry Miller Theater, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Brown University, University of Chicago, Wellesley College, Shaggy Flores's "Voices For the Voiceless" at Amherst College, Miami Dade College, University of Louisville, Princeton University, Bao Phi's Equilibrium series at The Loft in Minneapolis and University of Florida. He has also appeared as part of the annual Saints & Sinners literary festival in New Orleans. He remains a favorite amongst queer youth organizations and the college and university circuit. View of Rikers Island Rikers Island is the name of New York Citys largest jail facility, as well as the name of the 413. ... The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. ... Alma Mater Columbia University is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. ... DePaul University[1] is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest who valued philanthropy, Saint Vincent de Paul. ... Founded in 1966 by the late poet and translator Paul Blackburn, The Poetry Project has been a crucial venue for new and experimental poetries for over four decades. ... Irving Plaza is a 1,200-person club/ballroom at 17 Irving Place and East 15th Street in New York City that was built in 1914. ... Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a contemporary arts center in San Francisco, California. ... Brown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island. ... For other uses, see University of Chicago (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wellesley College (disambiguation). ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Amherst College is a private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. It is the third oldest college in Massachusetts. ... Miami Dade College is one of Floridas public community colleges, located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ... The University of Louisville (also known as U of L) is a public, state-supported university located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. ... AKA Thien-bao Phi, a Vietnamese American spoken word artist, writer and community activist living in Minnesota. ... This article is about the city in Minnesota. ... The University of Florida (Florida, UFL, or UF) is a public land-grant, research university located in Gainesville, Florida. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

He has also performed abroad in the South American cities of Buenos Aires, Argentina and Guayaquil, Ecuador. For other uses, see Buenos Aires (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city of Guayaquil. ...

He collaborated with Nuyorican Poets Cafe founder Miguel Algarin and poet Caridad de la Luz on staged readings of "The Mongo Affair" at Central Park Summerstage, Joe's Pub and Aaron Davis Hall. He has also performed for the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC) and curated an evening of local emerging Latino/a spoken word artists at El Museo del Barrio in New York City. Professor Miguel Algarin born (c. ... Caridad de la Luz a. ... Central Park SummerStage is an outdoor concert venue in Central Park (New York City), presenting free music, dance, spoken word, and film events produced by City Parks Foundation, throughout the summer months. ... Joes Pub at The Public Theater debuted in October 1998 and has quickly became one of New York Citys most celebrated and in-demand showcase venues for live music and performance. ... Aaron Davis Hall is Harlems Centre for the Performing Arts in New York City founded in 1981. ... Founded in 1969 by a group of Puerto Rican artists, educators,community activists and civic leaders, El Museo del Barrio is located at the top of Museum Mile in New York City (USA), in East Harlem a neighborhood also called El Barrio and is the only museum dedicated to the...

He also contributed spoken word/musical collaborations to the CD, Word War I, produced by El David to benefit political prisoners in Puerto Rico.

Controversy

When he first created The House of Xavier, one of the most prominent members of the ball community, whom he had collaborated with on a major ball event, challenged him on his efforts to create a spoken word poetry themed House. As a result, several initial members left to join other more traditional Houses and the House of Xavier was restructured exclusively for the annual Glam Slam spoken word poetry competition.

Years later, despite all of his work as an activist and with youth organizations, in October 2005, Emanuel Xavier was brutally attacked by a group of about twenty young men in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn. Rumors swirled about the attack, some suggesting it was his connection to the notorious gang, The Latin Kings (one of his poems, "Waiting For God", had appeared in their monthly newsletter earlier that fall despite the fact he was an openly gay artist), while others suggested it was simply another gay bashing. Rather than join the hate crimes wagon, in an exclusive interview with queer Latino activist, Andres Duque, for Gay City News, and later in an editorial for The New York Post, Emanuel called this crime out as a random act of violence and eventually captured his experience in the poem "Writer's Block". Because of this, the incident received very little media coverage and a similar attack, just weeks later only a few blocks away, didn't even get any mention in the press. The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and the oldest to have been published continually as a daily. ...

In 2006, he was one of several queer activists who protested a concert at New York City's Webster Hall sponsored by LIFEbeat featuring two openly homophobic reggae artists. The concert was ultimately cancelled but the activists were blamed for speaking out. LIFEbeat eventually issued an apology. Activism, in a general sense, can be described as involvement in action to bring about change, be it social, political, environmental, or other change. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Homophobia is a term used to describe: A culturally determined phobia manifesting as fear, revulsion, or contempt for homosexuality. ...

Several months later, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe attempted to launch a queer slam poetry competition, also titled The Glam Slam, without crediting The House of Xavier and ignoring the fact they had been staging these events since 1998. A successful writing campaign led them to cancel the event. Emanuel Xavier proceeded to stage a major benefit he had previously scheduled for the Nuyorican Poets Cafe but it would be his last appearance at the venue where he had reinvented himself as a spoken word artist.

In 2007, he sparked controversy before performing at a Miami Dade County High School where he was threatened with arrest unless he censored his work before performing in front of an auditorium filled with public high school students.

He maintains a close friendship with New York City drag personality Flotilla DeBarge who pleaded guilty for two counts of assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon in 2007. Flotilla DeBarge Flotilla DeBarge is the stage name of Kevin Joseph Rennard, a drag queen based in New York City. ...

In 2007, he was one of few modern day poets to end up on Page Six after competing on Mark Kostabi's game show against Star editrix Bonnie Fuller and percussionist Jerry Marotta ("Bonnie wordplay whips poet"). Page 6 (subtitled Atari Users Magazine, and later known as New Atari User) was an independent British publication aimed at users of Atari computers. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bonnie Fuller was the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, Glamour magazine (beginning in 1998), and Us Weekly. ... Jerry Marotta (born February 6, 1956) is a drummer born in Cleveland, Ohio. ...

Present

A silver lining to the 2005 attack was that significant hearing loss led to an MRI which resulted in the discovery of an acoustic neuroma for which he was diagnosed and underwent surgery in 2006. The tumor was successfully removed but he remained permanently deaf in his right ear with minor facial nerve complications to his right eye. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Acoustic neuroma (or Vestibular Schwannoma) is a benign primary intracranial tumor of the myelin forming cells called Schwann cells (Schwannoma) of the 8th cranial nerve --- also known as the acoustic nerve, (or more properly the vestibulocochlear nerve). ...

Besides doing background work for the television shows Law & Order, Fort Pit, Canterbury's Law and The Return of Jezebel James, he will also appear in the independent films, Latent Lava, The Cult of Sincerity and Nothing To Nobody. This article is about the original television series. ... Canterburys Law is an upcoming American legal drama created by Dave Erickson and executive produced by Denis Leary, Jim Serpico and Mike Figgis for Sony Pictures Television and Apostle. ... The Return of Jezebel James is an upcoming American situation comedy created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who also executive produces alongside her husband, Daniel Palladino. ...

Suspect Thoughts Press is set to publish a new poetry collection by Emanuel Xavier who also selected finalists for Best Gay Erotica 2008 (Cleis Press) and is editing, Mariposas: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry, for Floricanto Press. Cleis Press is an independent publisher of books in the areas of sexuality, erotica, feminism, gay and lesbian studies, gender studies, fiction, and human rights. ...

Personal Life

He lives in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn.

Awards

Emanuel Xavier has received the Marsha A. Gomez Cultural Heritage Award and the "I Am A Legend" Award for his contributions to gay and Latino culture and a New York City Council Citation for his contribution to New York City arts.

His novel, Christ Like, and the collection, Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry, which he edited, have both been finalists for a Lambda Literary Award.

References

This article is about the year. ... is the 131st day of the year (132nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Advocate (ISSN 0001-8996) is a US-based LGBT-related biweekly news magazine. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bibliography

• Best Gay Erotica 1997, edited by Richard Labonte with an introduction by Douglas Sadownick, Cleis Press, 1997 (features his first short story publication titled "Motherf***ers" which introduces the character of Mikey X.)
• Pier Queen, Pier Queen Productions, 1997 (first full length poetry collection)
• Ma-Ka: Diasporic Juks- Contemporary Writing by Queers of African Descent, edited by Makeda Silvera, Sister Vision Press, 1997 (features a reprint of the poem "Bushwick Bohemia" from the poetry collection, Pier Queen)
• Men On Men 7: Best New Gay Fiction, edited by David Bergman, Plume Books, 1998 (includes a short story titled "Christ Like" which also features a main character named Mikey X. and inspires the author to write a full length novel)
• Besame Mucho: New Gay Latino Fiction, edited by Jaime Manrique & Jesse Dorris, Painted Leaf Press, 1999 (features an out of place reprint of the entire first chapter from the forthcoming novel, Christ Like)
• Christ Like, Painted Leaf Press, 1999 (his only full length novel)
• Virgins, Guerillas & Locas, edited by Jaime Cortez, Cleis Press, 1999 (features a short story titled "Crazy Horse Memoirs")
• Blood & Tears: Poems for Matthew Shepard, edited by Scott Gibson, 1999 (features a reprint of the poem "Oya/St. Therese" from the poetry collection, Pier Queen)
• Best of Best Gay Erotica, edited by Richard Labonte, Cleis Press, 2000 (features a reprint of the short story "Motherf***ers")
• Of The Flesh, edited by Greg Wharton, suspect thoughts press, 2001 (features the poem "Nearly God" from the forthcoming poetry collection, Americano)
• Americano, suspect thoughts press, 2002 (second full length poetry collection)
• The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name, edited by Greg Wharton, Boheme Press, 2003 (features an essay titled "Confessions")
• From Porn To Poetry 2, edited by Susannah Indigo & Brian Peters, Samba Mountain, 2003 (also features a reprint of the poem "Nearly God")
• Bad Boys, edited by Paul J. Willis & M. Christian, Alyson Books, 2003 (features an essay titled "Bookshop Booty")
• Coloring Book, edited by boice-Terrel Allen, Rattlecat Press, 2004 (features the poem "Legendary" from the forthcoming collection, Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry)
• Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry, suspect thoughts press, 2005 (edited by Emanuel Xavier and featuring several new poems)
• In Our Own Words: A Generation Defining Itself Volume 7, edited by Marlow Peerse Weaver, MW Enterprises, 2007 (features reprints of the poem "Another Country" from the poetry collection, Pier Queen, and "In The Eighties" from Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry)
• Best Gay Erotica 2008, edited by Richard Labonte with an introduction by Emanuel Xavier, Cleis Press, 1997 (finalists selected by Emanuel Xavier)

• • • Books exclusively by the author or edited by the author are highlighted in bold

Cleis Press is an independent publisher of books in the areas of sexuality, erotica, feminism, gay and lesbian studies, gender studies, fiction, and human rights. ... This article is considered orphaned, since there are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Jaime Manrique (16 June 1949 - ) is a gay, Colombian-American author, poet, and journalist. ... Cleis Press is an independent publisher of books in the areas of sexuality, erotica, feminism, gay and lesbian studies, gender studies, fiction, and human rights. ... Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was fatally attacked near Laramie, on the night of October 6 – October 7, 1998 in what was widely reported by international news media as a savage beating because of his homosexuality. ... Cleis Press is an independent publisher of books in the areas of sexuality, erotica, feminism, gay and lesbian studies, gender studies, fiction, and human rights. ... Cleis Press is an independent publisher of books in the areas of sexuality, erotica, feminism, gay and lesbian studies, gender studies, fiction, and human rights. ...

Television Appearances

• Canterbury's Law (2008)
• The Return of Jezebel James (2008)
• Law & Order episode: Illegal (2008)
• Fort Pit (2007)
• Law & Order episode: In Vino Veritas (2006)
• Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry two episodes (2003 & 2005)
• In The Life episode: Family Law (2003)

Canterburys Law is an upcoming American legal drama created by Dave Erickson and executive produced by Denis Leary, Jim Serpico and Mike Figgis for Sony Pictures Television and Apostle. ... The Return of Jezebel James is an upcoming American situation comedy created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who also executive produces alongside her husband, Daniel Palladino. ... This article is about the original television series. ... This article is about the original television series. ... Russell Simmons (born October 4, 1957 in Queens, New York), is an American entrepreneur, the co-founder, with Rick Rubin, of the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam, founder of another label, Russell Simmons Music Group, and creator of the clothing fashion line Phat Farm. ... Def Poetry, also known as Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry or Def Poetry Jam, is an HBO television series produced by hip-hop music entrepreneur Russell Simmons. ... In The Life is a television series that first broadcasted on PBS in June 1992 and is still running. ...

External links

• Official Website
• Emanuel Xavier at the Internet Movie Database
• Emanuel Xavier's Official MySpace Page