Saeed Jones was born in Memphis, TN and raised in Lewisville, Texas. He received his MFA in Creative Writing at Rutgers University – Newark. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Western Kentucky University where he won the Jim Wayne Miller Award for Poetry. Recently, his poems “Body & Kentucky Bourbon” and “After the First Shot” were nominated for Pushcart Prizes. His chapbook When the Only Light is Fire is available from Sibling Rivalry Press. He has studied with writers like Tom Hunley, Dale Rigby, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Rachel Hadas, and Tayari Jones. He currently lives and writes in New York City.
PUBLICATIONS
– “Insomniac” & “Thallium” – Blackbird – Forthcoming
– “Apologia” & “Room Without a Ghost” – New South – Forthcoming
– “Scheherazade Sleeps Through the Executions” – Quarterly West – Forthcoming
– “Skin Like Brick Dust” – The Rumpus – April 2012
– “Blue Prelude” – Jubilat – December 2011
– “Coyote Cry,” “In Nashville,” & “Boy Found Inside a Wolf” – Ishaan Literary Review – December 2011
– “Cruel Body” – Hayden’s Ferry Review – December 2011
– “After the First Shot” & “Boy at Threshold” – West Branch – December 2011
– “Anthracite” – Spillway – December 2011
– “Eclipse of My Third Life,” “Boy in Whale Bone Corset,” & “Kingdom of Trick, King of Drug” – Connotation Press — May 2011
– “Nocturne” – Weave Magazine – December 2010
– “Isaac, After Mount Moriah” – Line Break – October 2010
– “Jasper, 1998” and “Don’t Let The Sun Set On You” – Esque Magazie – September 2010
– “Deepwater” – Poets For Living Waters – August 2010
– “Body & Kentucky Bourbon” – Naugatuck River River – August 2010
– “Room 31” and “Jerome, or The Resurrectionist” – Union Station Magazine – July 2010
– “Mississippi Drowning” – The Collagist – May 2010
– “Pretending to Drown” – Mary – May 2010
– “Kudzu” “June Fahrenheit” “The Escape Artist” “On First” – Ganymede – March 2010
– “Postcard From Inside His Head” and “Sleeping Arrangement” – Word Riot – October 2009
– “Daedalus, After Icarus” – OCHO – Summer 2009
– “Mary Magdalene” and “Death in Bed” – The Adirondack Review – February 2009
– “The End of Days Diner” – Misunderstandings Magazine – February 2009
– “The Revisionist’s First Kiss” and “Praise Song” – MFA/MFyou – January 2009
– “Gazelle” “It Means Something Different in Arabic” and “To the Southern Dialect” – Splinter Generation – October 2008
– “Before You Were/After You Left” – Underground Voices – July 2008
– “Eve on Top” – Glass Poetry – October 2008
– “Beatrice: Canto II” – Umbrella – June 2008
– “Jezebel’s FM Radio” – Barnwood Magazine – January 2008
– “It Means Something Different in Arabic” – StorySouth – May 2007
ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS
“Former Newarker on Fire: An Interview with Poet Saeed Jones” – Examiner – December 2011
“Over Coffee With Melvin Dixon” – Lambda Literary – December 2011
“Setting the Past on Fire” – Next Magazine – November 2011
“What We Talk About When We Talk About Langston” – Lambda Literary – October 2011
– “Queering Poets, or Werking It” – Lambda Literary – August 2011
– “The Fierce Manifesto” – Lambda Literary – July 2011
– “Just As He Was: E. Lynn Harris” – Lambda Literary – July 2010
– Interview regarding “Mississippi Drowning” – The Collagist – May 2010
– Interview regarding feminism – The Undomestic Goddness – August 2009
READINGS
– Tumblr/Knopf’s Celebrate Poetry with Philip Levine, Tracy K. Smith & Karolina Manko @ Housing Works Bookstore, New York City, April 23, 2012
– 2012 Chapbook Festival: Lunch Poems @ CUNY, New York City, March 29, 2012
– Reading at Unchartered Books (Hosted by Metta Sama) – Chicago, IL – March 13, 2012
– Phantistique Five with Jericho Brown, Philip B. Williams, Rickey Laurentiis, L. Lamar Wilson and Darrel Alejandro Holnes @ Harold Washington College, Chicago, IL – March 12, 2012
– Black Don’t Crack Speakeasy (hosted by Mahogany Browne & Roger Bonair-Agard) @ Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago – March 12, 2012
– White Swallow Reading Series @ Cornelia Street Cafe, New York City, December 12, 2011
– Emotive Fruition Presents “When The Only Light Is Fire,” @ Bowery Poetry Club, New York City, November 16 & December 2, 2011
– LGBT Ivy League Alumni Dinner, People Lounge, New York City, November 16, 2011
– Naugatuck River Review Contributors Reading @ AWP, Washington, DC, February 2011
– Queer as a 3 Dollar Bill @ Human Rights Campaign Equality Forum, Washington, DC, February 2011
– Emotive Fruition @ Bowery Poetry Club, February 2011
– Queer Voices of Color @ Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, October 2010
– Rutgers University Alumni Reading, Newark, NJ, October 2010
– LouderARTS at Bar 13, New York, NY, September 2010
– Out Like That, BAAD!, New York, NY, June 2010
– A Night of Pride, 1120, Newark, NJ, June 2010
– Stain of Poetry Reading Series, Goodbye Blue Monday, Brooklyn, NY May 2010
– Persistent Voices Panel, AWP, Denver, CO, April 2010
– Working Artists Reading, GLBTQ Center, New York, NY, February 2010
– Southern Writers Reading, Happy Endings Lounge, New York, NY, December 2009
– Persistent Voices, Housing Works Bookstore, New York, NY, December 2009
– Passions 26, Newark, NJ, November 2009
– Realness Reading Series, KGB Bar, New York, NY-October 2009
– Projections Reading Series, Brooklyn, NY -October 2009
– Rutgers MFA Student Reading, University Square Lounge, Newark, NJ -September 2008
– Undergraduate Thesis Reading, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, May 2008
For Southern Boys Who Consider Poetry 
Did I tell you I loved this picture? Keep throwin’ down my friend.
Thanks, girl.
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Interesting Bio… lucky to have such great writers around you… like attracts like…
Saeed in da HOUZE
Keeping working the glasses, the hair, and the pensive poses! They work for you.
Found your blog through twitter – long story – search for Kwame Dawes. Nice work. I’m following.
I started following you on Twitter because of ndcollier and, as my poet myself, was intrigued to visit your site. I am not leaving disappointed. This is a wonderful reference, and I will link to it through my site. Glad I found you.
Wishing you very much success with your MFA and in your writing career!
Wonderful insights. You have a gift.
found you through pattidigh on twitter. love all the art and pics on the site. 🙂 bookmarking you! 🙂
I mentioned you on my blog. Not that I have many readers, but hey, it’s free publicity. 🙂 http://theoriginalscarlett.wordpress.com/
came across you via twitter. am loving your site, the images, your works and your recommendations. amazing stuff, really 🙂
Hey Saeed –
I’m addicted on my first visit! Excellent work!
My only “feedback” is that you need to add a “subscribe” link on your site so that FANS like me can get an RSS feed, to follow along when you update!
Keep writing – your stuff is GREAT!
Rev/Doc
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Heyheyhey Saeed,
I’ve been stumbling thru your material and am now even MORE EXCITED to hear you tonight at 13 Bar’s word throw-down. I’m just starting out and now, very inspired. Thanks, Mister!
Break legs all over that damn room!
LuhvLuhvLuhv,
Eve
Hi Saeed,
Would you mind emailing me?
Thanks,
k~
Hey I love your site and your work. Is there an e-mail address I can contact you by?
Hey Saeed,
Keep making me proud! You are a true asset to our race (the color and the circus)
Love you bro! Waiting on January’s contribution…
Saeed, please call or e-mail me. I was a good friend of your mom. Thank you.
nancy.rahim@bankofamerica.com
Mr. Jones, I’ve been trying to reach you. I would very much like to reprint your story “Boy, A History” in Best Gay Stories 2013. I’d pay, of course, for one-time reprint rights.
sberman8@yahoo.com
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Blue Prelude ripped my heart out. But I am insanely in love with it.
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