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Things I Must Have Known
Author Biography
Photo by Jim Alexander |
A.B. Spellman began his thirty-year tenure at the National Endowment for the Arts in 1975. Before that, he was an active poet, radio programmer, and essayist in New York, the poet-in-residence at the Morehouse College in Atlanta, and a visiting lecturer at Emory, Rutgers, and Harvard universities. He has also been a regular jazz commentator for National Public Radio and has published numerous books and articles on the arts, including The Beautiful Days, a poetry chapbook, published by Diane di Prima, and Four Lives in the Bebop Business, a classic in the field of jazz criticism that is now available as Four Jazz Lives (University of Michigan Press).
In recognition of Spellman’s commitment and service to jazz, the NEA created the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy. Additionally, the Jazz Journalists Association voted to honor Mr. Spellman with its “A Team” award, and he received the Benny Golson Award from his alma mater, Howard University. He lives in Washington, DC. |
