Jessica Gallion was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and raised in Los Angleles where pen and poetry became her best friend. Inspired by the works of Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes, she decided that she too had a story to tell. She is a nomad for the art, never fitting into a particular place and therefore making space for herself wherever her voice is needed. She writes for the misunderstood, the hurt and abused, she writes for you. As a single mother, a creole woman, a woman who knows the fire and flaws of life, she uses her pen to shine light in dark places. She has performed at Vibrations, The World Stage, Flight School and many other venues around Los Angeles. Jessica is the 2016 champion of the Spoken Word Voices Heard poetry slam and a graduate of the Community Literature Initiative. Her forthcoming book of poetry "Can't No Woman, Woman Like Me" is set to be released in 2017.
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~ James Baldwin
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Flash Fiction Contest
On May 1st, we announced the winners of our Flash Fiction Contest: Thomas Garcia (1st), Rick Krizman (2nd), and Rios de la Luz (3rd). Read more.
The James Baldwin Literature Prize
It is with great pleasure that we announce the winner of The James Baldwin Literature Prize of $1,000 to Hafsa Musa. Read more.
The New Engagement endeavors a novel approach to discovering, introducing, and showcasing writers, artists, and filmmakers, by providing them digital and print platforms, while encouraging and supporting their social-consciousness.