About Natalie J Graham

Natalie J. Graham, a native of Gainesville, Florida, earned her M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of Florida and Ph.D. in American Studies from Michigan State University. She has published numerous scholarly articles and essays that delve into the intersections of race, gender, and performance. In addition to her academic contributions, Graham is an award-winning poet and performer. Her poetry collection, Begin with a Failed Body, was selected by Kwame Dawes for the Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Graham also served as the inaugural Poet Laureate of Orange County, California, where she developed community-based initiatives to support artistic development and engagement. In August 2024, she joined the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as a professor in Africana Studies and currently serves as the Interim Department Head.