Ph.D. University of Illinois, Chicago, expected graduation Spring 2007
Dissertation: The Shadow Speaker (novel)

M.A. University of Illinois, Chicago, English Literature 2002
Master's Thesis: The Legend of Arro-yo (novel), MA English, 2002

M.A. Michigan State University, Journalism 1999
Master's Thesis: Virtual Women: Female Characters in Video Games

B.A. University of Illinois, C-U, Rhetoric, 1996

Zahrah the Windseeker, A. September 2005, Houghton Mifflin B. 2007, Farafina Press (Lagos, Nigeria)

The Shadow Speaker A. October 2007, Hyperion Books

Long Juju Man A. 2009, Macmillan UK.
 

Literary Agent:

Donald Maass of the Donald Maass Literary Agency

Anthologies and Magazines:

"Spider the Artist," Seeds of Change (Prime Books) 2008

"How Inyang Got Her Wings," Gallery Seven Books Anthology (Gallery Seven Books) 2008

"The Chaos Magician's Mega Chemistry Set," Space and Time Magazine (Space and Time Publishing) 2007

"Biafra," Margin Anthology of Magical Realism (Margin) 2005

"The Winds of Harmattan," Black Arts Quarterly, (Stanford University) 2005

"The Magical Negro," Dark Matter II: Reading the Bones, (Warner Aspect) 2004

"When Scarabs Multiply," So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction & Fantasy, (Arsenal Pulp Press) 2004

"Asuquo," Mojo Conjure Stories, (Warner Aspect) 2003

"Windseekers," The L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Anthology, (Galaxy Press) 2002

"The Palm Tree Bandit," Strange Horizons www.strangehorizons.com 2001

Nonfiction:

"The Default," The Wiscon Chronicles, (Aquaduct Press) 2008

"bulter8star@qwest.net," Strange Matings: Remembering Octavia Butler (Wesleyan University Press) 2008

"Wizard of the Crow: Ngugi wa Thiong'o," interview, Farafina Magazine, 2006

"Lioness of Sudan: Kola Boof," magazine profile, Farafina Magazine, 2006

"Stephen King's Super Duper Magical Negroes," critical essay, Strange Horizons, 2004

"Running Girl," memoir, Under Her Skin: An Anthology on Race and Childhood (Seal Press), 2004

"Her Pen Could Fly: A Tribute to Virginia Hamilton," essay, Dark Matter II: Reading the Bones, (Warner Aspect), 2004

Plays:

Full Moon (Produced by the Buxville Theater Company at the Chopin Theater in Chicago, April 2005

Employment Highlights

Visiting Professor of Creative Writing   
Chicago State University          2008- present

Teaching Assistant English Department     University of Illinois, Chicago          2003-2007

Adjunct Professor English Department    Governor's State University          Summer 2002- present

Graduate Assistant Chancellor's Office    University of Illinois, Chicago          2000- 2001

Awards and Honors:

The Golden Duck Award, finalist (the Shadow Speaker) 2008

The Macmillan Prize for Africa, winner (Long Juju Man)

The Tiptree Award, finalist (The Shadow Speaker)

The Andre Norton Award, finalist (The Shadow Speaker)

The NAACP Image Award, nominee (The Shadow Speaker)

The Essence Magazine Literary Award, finalist (The Shadow Speaker)

Locus Award, nominee (The Shadow Speaker)

The Golden Duck Award, finalist (Zahrah the Windseeker) 2006

The Equiano Prize for Short Fiction, shortlisted ("How Inyang Got Her Wings") 2006

The Parallax Award, shortlisted (Zahrah the Windseeker ) 2006

The Kindred Award, shortlisted (Zahrah the Windseeker) 2006

The Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa, shortlisted (The Girl with the Magic Hands) 2006

Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program 2003-present 

The Margin: Exploring Modern Magical Realism Short Story Contest, winner ("Biafra") 2005 

The Strange Horizons Readers Choice Award for Nonfiction, winner   

("Stephen King's Super Duper Magical Negroes" ) 2005

The Theodore Sturgeon Award, finalist ("The Magical Negro") 2005

The Goodnow Award for Creative Writing from the Chicago Bar Association, winner 2003 

The L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, finalist ("Windseekers")  2002 

The Hurston/Wright Award, third place winner ("Amphibious ")    2001 

Honorably mentioned in The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror ("The Palm Tree Bandit") 2001 

Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication Research Paper Competition

Virtual Women (Master's Thesis)        1999 

Winner of the Robert H. Longstaff Scholarship      1998
 

Other Teaching Experience:

Mentor for The Speculative Literature Foundation (SLF) Mentorship Program  2006

Professional Associations and Memberships:

The Modern Language Association 2006-present

The Carl Brandon Society 2002- present

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators  2005-present

Teaching/Research Interests:

Intro to Advanced Creative Writing (short fiction, novel-length and nonfiction), African Literature, Speculative Literature (magical realism, fabulist, fantasy, science fiction - adult and young adult), and Post-Colonial Literature.

Other Employment:

Freelance Writer  Black Issues Book Review New York, NY 2003-present 
Technology Columnist The Star Newspapers Tinley Park, IL 1998- present
Freelance Writer Africana, Boston, MA 2000- 2003 
Editor   Afrique Newsmagazine, Chicago, IL 1999- 2000
Intern Reporter  The Star Newspapers  Tinley Park, IL Summer 1998

References:

Kelly Normal Ellis
Assistant Director
MFA in Creative Writing Program
Douglas 210
9501 S. King Drive
Chicago, IL 60628

Professor Cris Mazza
Department of English
2027 University Hall
601 S. Morgan St. (M/C 162)
Chicago, Il 60607-7120
(312)-413-2795

Professor Gary Wolfe
Roosevelt University
Evelyn T. Stone University College
Center for Professional Advancement
Roosevelt University
18 S. Michigan
Chicago, IL
(312) 933-3333

Professor Jean Thompson
English Department 
Reed College 
3203 S. E. Woodstock Blvd. 
Portland, OR 97202-8199 
(503)-517-7676

Professor Lucinda Davenport
Michigan State University
387 Communication Arts and Science Building
East Lansing, MI 48824-1212
(517)-355-6574

Professor David Schaafsma
Department of English
2027 University Hall
601 S. Morgan St. (M/C 162)
Chicago, Il 60607-7120
(312)-413-2222

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