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'{{Short description|American poet, novelist, and vocalist (1944–1999)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox writer | image = | imagesize = | name = Sherley Anne Williams | caption = | pseudonym = | birth_date = {{birth date|1944|08|25}} | birth_place = [[Bakersfield]], [[California]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1999|07|06|1944|08|25}} | death_place = [[San Diego]], [[California]], U.S. | occupation = Poet, novelist, professor, vocalist, playwright and social critic | nationality = | period = | genre = | subject = | movement = | notableworks = ''[[Dessa Rose]]'' (1986); ''[[Working Cotton]]'' (1992) | influences = | influenced = }} '''Sherley Anne Williams''' (August 25, 1944 – July 6, 1999) was an American poet, novelist, professor, vocalist, [[Jazz poetry|jazz poet]], playwright and [[social critic]]. Many of her works tell stories about her life in the [[African-American]] community. ==Biography== Sherley Anne Williams was born in [[Bakersfield]], [[California]], to Lena Leila Marie Siler and Jessee Winston Williams, who were migrant farm workers.<ref name="Amerman">{{Cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/williams-sherley-anne-1944-1999 |title=Williams, Sherley Anne (1944–1999) |last=Amerman |first=Don |website=Encyclopedia.com|access-date=February 25, 2023}}</ref> She was the oldest of three sisters: Ruby, Lois, and Jesmarie.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Williams, Sherley Anne (1944–1999) {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/williams-sherley-anne-1944-1999 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> The family suffered from poverty and struggled to make ends meet most their lives. The kids would often have to help out with farming in order to get by.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Williams, Sherley Anne (1944–1999) {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/williams-sherley-anne-1944-1999 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> She was raised in the projects on the east side of Bakersfield and picked [[cotton]] and fruit with her parents and three sisters in the fields and orchards of [[Fresno, California|Fresno]], California. Williams was eight when her father died of [[tuberculosis]] and was 16 years old when her mother died from a heart attack.<ref name="latimes.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-07-tm-950-story.html|title=Understanding the Impossible: Poet and Professor Sherley Anne Williams, Who Once Picked Cotton in Fresno, Has Become a Surprise Best-Selling Novelist|date=1986-12-07|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> In 1968 William's gave birth to her son John Malcom, becoming a single mother; following this her career began taking off and she moved to Providence Rhode, Island.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Williams, Sherley Anne (1944–1999) {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/williams-sherley-anne-1944-1999 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> Williams graduated from [[Edison High School (Fresno, California)|Edison High School]] in Fresno, in 1962. In 1966 she earned her [[bachelor's degree]] in English at what is now [[California State University, Fresno]], and she received her [[master's degree]] at [[Brown University]] in 1972. During her first year at brown, in 1968, Williams publicized for the first time, putting out a first person Narrative of a short story "Tell Martha Not to Moan".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Williams, Sherley Anne (1944–1999) {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/williams-sherley-anne-1944-1999 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> The following year (1973), Williams became a professor of African-American Literature at the [[University of California at San Diego]] (UCSD). Over the course of her career at UCSD, Williams served as chair of the literature department from 1977 to 1980, traveled to [[Ghana]] as a senior [[Fulbright]] scholar in 1984, and a served as a visiting professor at USC, Stanford, and Sweet Briar College.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2000/apr/13/cover-raised-not-hope-too-hard/|title=Sherley Williams – from Fresno to La Jolla|last=Phelgyal|first=Jangchup|date=April 13, 2000 |website=www.sandiegoreader.com|language=en|access-date=February 25, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://literature.ucsd.edu/people/faculty/memoriam/swilliams.html|title=Sherley Williams|website=literature.ucsd.edu|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> In 1987, Williams was the Distinguished Professor of the Year by the UCSD Alumni Association.<ref name="Marcus">{{Cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/williams-sherley-anne|title=Williams, Sherley Anne |last=Marcus |first=Lisa |website=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=February 25, 2023}}</ref> In 1998, Williams was awarded the African American Literature and Culture Society’s Stephen Henderson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Literature and Poetry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aalcsblog.wordpress.com/awards-recipients/|title=Awards Recipients|date=December 21, 2016|website=African American Literature and Culture Society|language=en|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> Williams published two collections of poetry: ''The Peacock Poems'' (1975), which was nominated for a [[Pulitzer Prize]] and a [[National Book Award]], and ''Some One Sweet Angel Chile'' (1982), also nominated for a National Book Award. Upon publishing ''The Peacock Poems'' Wesleyan University spelt her name wrong in the first edition, having to contradict it later.<ref name="publicity">{{Cite web |last=publicity |date=2022-06-17 |title=Honoring Sherley Anne Williams |url=https://www.weslpress.org/blog/2022/06/17/honoring-sherley-anne-williams/ |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=Wesleyan University Press |language=en-US}}</ref> Her second poetry collection, ''Some Sweet Angel Chile,'' published in 1982 was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and received praise in the New York Times, having been translated to several languages and later adopted into a musical.<ref name="publicity"/> She won an [[Emmy Award]] for her television performance of poems from this collection.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-11-me-54982-story.html|title=Sherley Williams; Migrant Worker Became Woman of Letters|date=1999-07-11|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> Her novel ''[[Dessa Rose]]'' (1986) was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, received two laudatory reviews in ''[[The New York Times]]'' in 1986, was translated into several languages, and was adapted into a [[Dessa Rose (musical)|musical]] that premiered in 2005.<ref name="latimes.com"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-31-ca-10659-story.html|title=Films now going into production: ...|date=1988-07-31|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> ''Dessa Rose'' was also excerpted in the anthology ''[[Daughters of Africa]]'', edited by [[Margaret Busby]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.librarything.com/work/271737|title=Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Words and Writings by…|editor-first=Margaret|editor-last=Busby|via=Library Thing|access-date=December 3, 2021}}</ref> Williams' one-woman play, ''Letters from a New England Negro'' (1992), was performed at the [[National Black Theater Festival]] in 1991 and at the Chicago International Theater Festival in 1992.<ref name="nytimesobit">{{cite news |title=Sherley Anne Williams, 54, Novelist, Poet and Professor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/14/books/sherley-anne-williams-54-novelist-poet-and-professor.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=21 November 2020 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=14 July 1999 |page=A 21}}</ref> Williams wrote two picture books, ''Working Cotton'' (1992), which won the Caldecott Award of the [[American Library Association]] and a [[Coretta Scott King]] book award, and ''Girls Together'' (1997).<ref name="Amerman" /> For television, Williams wrote the programs ''Ours to Make'' (1973) and ''The Sherley Williams Special'' (1977).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/williams-sherley-anne-1944-1999/|title=Sherley Anne Williams (1944-1999) • BlackPast|last=Swanson|first=Abigail|date=2011-12-13|website=BlackPast|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-04}}</ref> Williams published the groundbreaking critical study of African-American writing ''Give Birth to Brightness: A Thematic Study of Neo-Black Literature'' in 1972. She was also selected to write the introduction for [[Zora Neale Hurston]]'s 1991 edition of ''[[Their Eyes Were Watching God]]''. Williams was also known for her music, which mainly consisted of [[blues]] and [[jazz poetry]]. In 1982 Williams wrote, recorded, and [[self-published]] her debut [[Single (music)|single]] titled "Some One Sweet Angel Chile", which was re-released by Blues Economique Records in 1984. The music for "Some One Sweet Angel Chile" was composed by [[Bertram Turetzky]]. In the early 1990s Williams reconnected with Bertram Turetzky for some [[recording sessions]] for his album ''Compositions And Improvisations'', which also featured various jazz and blues artists including [[Vinny Golia]], [[Jerome Rothenberg]], [[Quincy Troupe]], and Nancy Turetzky. Williams is credited as a [[vocalist]] for her contributions to Turetzky's album. Three of the songs featured on the album were previously-written poems by Williams recorded in musical format: "One-Sided Bed Blues", "Big Red And His Brother", and "The Wishon Line".<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/artist/2395339-Sherley-Anne-Williams " Sherley Anne Williams - Discography" Sherley Anne Williams (1993). Discogs p.1] www.discogs.com. Retrieved 25-01-2016</ref><ref>[http://www.discogs.com/Bertram-Turetzky-Compositions-And-Improvisations/release/3077371 " Bertram Turetzky – Compositions And Improvisations Tracklisting" Bertram Turetzky(1993). Discogs p.1] www.discogs.com. Retrieved January 25, 2016.</ref> The album was recorded at Studio 101 in [[Solana Beach, California]], during the summer of 1992, and released by [[Nine Winds]] Records in 1993. Williams died of cancer on July 6, 1999, in San Diego, at the age of 54.<ref name="nytimesobit"/> ==Published works== ===Fiction=== * ''[[Dessa Rose]]'' (1986) * ''[[Working Cotton]]'' (1992) * ''Girls Together'' (1999) *''Letters from a New England Negro'' (1992) ===Poetry=== * ''The Peacock Poems'' (1975) (as Shirley Williams) * ''Some One Sweet Angel Chile'' (1982) ===Non-fiction=== * ''Giving Birth to Brightness: A Thematic Study in Neo-Black Literature'' (1972) *"Meditations on History." In [[Mary Helen Washington]], ed, ''Midnight Birds: Stories by Contemporary Black women Writers''. New York: Anchor Books, 1980, 195–248. *"Two Words on Music: Black Community." In [[Gina Dent]], ed, ''Black Popular Culture: A Project by [[Michele Wallace]].'' Seattle, WA: Bay Press, 1992, 164–72. *"The Blues Roots of Contemporary Afro-American Poetry." In Dexter Fisher and [[Robert B. Stepto]], eds, ''Afro-American Literature: The Reconstruction of Instruction.'' New York: Modern Language Association, 1978, 72–87. *"Cultural and Interpersonal Aspects of Black Male/Female Relationships: Comment on the Curb." ''Black Scholar,'' 10, 1979: 49–57. *"The Lion's History: The Ghetto Writes B(l)ack." ''Soundings'' 76. 2–3 (1993): 248. *"Some Implications of [[Womanism|Womanist]] Theory." In Angelyn Mitchell, ed, ''Within the Circle: An Anthology of African American Literary Criticism from the Harlem Renaissance to the Present.'' Durham: Duke University Press, 1994: 515–521. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Further reading== * {{cite journal |last=Davis |first=Mary Kemp |date=Summer 1989 |title=Everybody Knows Her Name: The Recovery of the Past in Sherley Anne Williams's 'Dessa Rose' |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2931302 |journal=[[Callaloo (journal)|Callaloo]] |issue=40 |pages=544–558 |doi=10.2307/2931302 |jstor=2931302 |access-date=February 27, 2023}} * {{cite book |editor-last=Draper |editor-first=James P. |date=1992 |chapter=Sherley Anne Williams, 1944– |title=Black Literature Criticism: Excerpts from Criticism of the Most Significant Works of Black Authors Over the Past 200 Years |volume=3 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/blackliteraturec03nlit/page/1950/mode/1up?view=theater |chapter-url-access=registration |location=Detroit, Michigan |publisher=Gale Research |pages=1950–1961 |isbn=9780810379329 |oclc=24428989}} * {{cite book |last=Nagel |first=Carol De Kane |date=1994 |title=African American Biography |volume=4 |chapter=Sherley Anne Williams |location=Detroit, Michigan |publisher=U X L |pages=787–789 |isbn=9780810392380 |oclc=29563892}} * {{cite book |last=Tate |first=Claudia |author-link=Claudia Tate |date=1983 |title=Black Women Writers at Work |chapter=Sherley Anne Williams |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/blackwomenwriter00tate/page/205/mode/1up?view=theater |chapter-url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Continuum |pages=205–213 |isbn=9780826402325 |oclc=9112096}} ==External links== *[http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/williamsSherley.php Biography, bibliography and a photo] *[http://libraries.ucsd.edu/speccoll/findingaids/mss0493.html Sherley Anne Williams Papers] MSS 493. [http://libraries.ucsd.edu/collections/sca/ Special Collections & Archives], UC San Diego Library. *[https://www.amazon.com/Compositions-Improvisations-Bertram-Turetzky/dp/B000QUB7JW " Compositions and Improvisations" album by Bertram Turetzky]. {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Sherley Anne}} [[Category:1944 births]] [[Category:1999 deaths]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]] [[Category:African-American poets]] [[Category:American women poets]] [[Category:20th-century American poets]] [[Category:California State University, Fresno alumni]] [[Category:Brown University alumni]] [[Category:University of California, San Diego faculty]] [[Category:20th-century American women writers]] [[Category:Writers from Bakersfield, California]] [[Category:Poets from California]] [[Category:20th-century American novelists]] [[Category:People from Bakersfield, California]] [[Category:Novelists from California]] [[Category:American women non-fiction writers]] [[Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers]] [[Category:African-American novelists]] [[Category:20th-century African-American women writers]] [[Category:20th-century African-American writers]]'