Judith Tannenbaum
Encyclopedia
Judith Tannenbaum is an American
teaching artist
and writer. Born in Chicago
and raised in Los Angeles
, she has worked in the field of community-based arts
, sharing poetry in a wide variety of settings from primary school classrooms to maximum security prisons. She has received grants from the California Arts Council
and has written for journals including PMLA
and Teaching Artist Journal.
(Northeastern University Press, 2000) -- a finalist in PEN American Center
USA West’s Literary Award Winners in 2001; two books for teachers – Teeth, Wiggly as Earthquakes: Writing Poetry in the Primary Grades (Stenhouse
Publishers, 2000) and (with Valerie Chow Bush) Jump Write In! Creative Writing Exercises for Diverse Communities, Grades 6-12 (Jossey-Bass, 2005); and six poetry collections. Her By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives — co-written with Spoon Jackson
, her student at San Quentin in the 1980s — will be published by New Village Press
in April, 2010.
In California, Tannenbaum created Arts-in-Corrections’ newsletter, wrote their book-length Manual for Artists Working in Prison, and developed the Handbook for Arts in the Youth Authority Program at the California Division of Juvenile Justice
. She has also completed a feasibility study for arts programming in Minnesota state prisons; chaired panels and served as keynote speaker at conferences on prison, prison arts, and teaching arts; and taught in prisons in eight states.
Tannenbaum currently serves as training coordinator for WritersCorps
in San Francisco.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teaching artist
Teaching artist
Teaching Artists, artist / educators, community artists are professional artists who teach and integrate their art form, perspectives, and skills into a wide range of settings...
and writer. Born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and raised in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, she has worked in the field of community-based arts
New Village Press
New Village Press is a not-for-profit book publisher based in Oakland, CA. It is a national publishing project of Architects/ Designers/ Planners for Social Responsibility ADPSR, an educational non-profit organization founded in 1982...
, sharing poetry in a wide variety of settings from primary school classrooms to maximum security prisons. She has received grants from the California Arts Council
California Arts Council
The California Arts Council is a state agency based in Sacramento. Its eleven council members are appointed by the Governor and the state Legislature...
and has written for journals including PMLA
Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America is the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature...
and Teaching Artist Journal.
Books and Work
Among Tannenbaum’s books are the memoir, Disguised as a Poem: My Years Teaching Poetry at San QuentinSan Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
(Northeastern University Press, 2000) -- a finalist in PEN American Center
PEN American Center
PEN American Center , founded in 1922 and based in New York City, works to advance literature, to defend free expression, and to foster international literary fellowship. The Center has a membership of 3,300 writers, editors, and translators...
USA West’s Literary Award Winners in 2001; two books for teachers – Teeth, Wiggly as Earthquakes: Writing Poetry in the Primary Grades (Stenhouse
Stenhouse
Stenhouse is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It lies to the West of the City Centre, adjacent to Whitson and Saughton Mains and close to Broomhouse and Sighthill...
Publishers, 2000) and (with Valerie Chow Bush) Jump Write In! Creative Writing Exercises for Diverse Communities, Grades 6-12 (Jossey-Bass, 2005); and six poetry collections. Her By Heart: Poetry, Prison, and Two Lives — co-written with Spoon Jackson
Spoon jackson
Spoon Jackson was born August 22, 1957 in Barstow, California. He began serving a life without possibility of parole sentence in 1978. He has served time in more than a half-dozen California state prisons and is currently at California State Prison, Sacramento .Spoon began writing poetry during his...
, her student at San Quentin in the 1980s — will be published by New Village Press
New Village Press
New Village Press is a not-for-profit book publisher based in Oakland, CA. It is a national publishing project of Architects/ Designers/ Planners for Social Responsibility ADPSR, an educational non-profit organization founded in 1982...
in April, 2010.
In California, Tannenbaum created Arts-in-Corrections’ newsletter, wrote their book-length Manual for Artists Working in Prison, and developed the Handbook for Arts in the Youth Authority Program at the California Division of Juvenile Justice
California Division of Juvenile Justice
The California Division of Juvenile Justice , formerly known as the California Youth Authority , is a division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that provides education, training, and treatment services for California's most serious youth offenders...
. She has also completed a feasibility study for arts programming in Minnesota state prisons; chaired panels and served as keynote speaker at conferences on prison, prison arts, and teaching arts; and taught in prisons in eight states.
Tannenbaum currently serves as training coordinator for WritersCorps
Writerscorps
WritersCorps is an American artists-in-service organization that hires professional writers to teach creative writing to youth. It grew from a national service model in the WPA tradition and is now an alliance of separately-run organizations in three cities....
in San Francisco.
External links
- Judith Tannenbaum
- Redroom
- Prison Arts Coalition
- SF Arts Commission
- Hedgebrook
- http://www.newvillagepress.net/book/?GCOI=97660100959910 ("By Heart" on New Village Press site)