Aisha Sasha John

Aisha Sasha John (born 16 September 1980) is a Canadian poet, artist, and singing dancer.

Aisha Sasha John
Born	(1980-09-16) 16 September 1980 (age 44) Montreal, Quebec
Occupation	poet and dancer
Nationality	Canadian
Period	2000s–present
Notable works	The Shining Material; THOU; I have to live
Website
aishasashajohn.tumblr.com

Life

John was born in Montreal, Canada, and studied at the University of Toronto and University of Guelph.

Her first collection of poems, The Shining Material, was published by BookThug in 2011. Her second collection, THOU, was published in 2014 and was a finalist for both the ReLit Awards and the Trillium Book Award for Poetry.^[1][2][3] Her third collection, I have to live., was published by McClelland & Stewart in 2017.^[4][5] It was shortlisted for that year's Griffin Poetry Prize.^[6]

In addition to her work as a poet, John choreographed, performed, and curates as part of the feminist performance collective WIVES alongside Julia Thomas and Emma-Kate Guimond. In early 2017, her performance work Let's understand what it means to be here (together) was staged by Art Metropole at Toronto's Union Station.^[7] In June 2017, John presented the aisha of oz at the Whitney Museum in New York City.^[8][9]

Works

Poetry

• The Shining Material (BookThug, 2011)
• THOU (BookThug, 2014)
• I have to live. (McClelland & Stewart, 2017) (shortlisted for the 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize)

References

1. Nailah King. "20 Black Writers to Read All Year Round". Room. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
2. "Poem: Excerpt from Aisha Sasha John's Thou". The Globe and Mail. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
3. "Confronting Your Importance: Aisha Sasha John's 'Thou' | The Urchin Movement". Retrieved 12 June 2017.
4. "I have to live by Aisha Sasha John". Penguin Random Houseaccessdate=30 March 2017.
5. "Why Aisha Sasha John believes poetry is the scholarship of "aliveness"". Retrieved 31 May 2017.
6. "The Griffin Poetry Prize Announces the 2018 International and Canadian Shortlist". Retrieved 10 April 2018.
7. "ART METROPOLE / AISHA SASHA JOHN". Retrieved 30 March 2017.
8. "Aisha Sasha John: the aisha of oz". Whitney Museum of American Art. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
9. "Review: Pasha Malla's Fugue States and Aisha Sasha John's I have to live explore different ways to be seen". The Globe and Mail. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.