Raymond Nat Turner, ‘The Town Crier,’ is a NYC poet privileged to have read at the Harriet Tubman Centennial Symposium in Auburn, NY where he is considered a “special son.” Turner is artistic director of the stalwart JazzPoetry Ensemble, UpSurge! and has appeared at numerous festivals and venues including the Monterey Jazz Festival and Panafest in Ghana, West Africa. Currently, he is Poet-in-Residence at Black Agenda Report WBAI’s Morning Show; and Ralph Poynter’s What’s Happening, Blog Talk Radio. He is also a contributor to Dissident Voice; Left Turn; Monthly Review; Struggle and other online and print publications. His work has been anthologized in Black Fire This Time; Storm Warning; Building Socialism; After The Clouds, The Sun; Un Bordado De Voces, and others.
Turner is former Co-Chair of the New York Chapter of the National Writers Union (NWU).
He has opened for such people as James Baldwin, People’s Advocate Cynthia McKinney, progressive sportswriter Dave Zirin and CA Congresswoman Barbara Lee following her lone vote against attacking Afghanistan.
Areas of Interest
Intersection of art and politics. That is to say that I'm interested in how my art can serve in truth-telling across climate change, foreign policy, national politics, anti-racism, abolition etc., etc.
Links / Articles
- "Is cruelty Governor Woke Smoke’s superpower?" (Dissident Voice)
- "Bipartisol and the ailing body politic" (Black Agenda Report)
- "POETRY: The Tennessee Three speak in We" (People's World)
- "Herd impunity?" (Monthly Review)