Savon Bartley is a black American neo blues poet, playwright, and storyteller from North Chicago, IL who documents the scope and sweep of black life in America in brief bursts of blues poetics. By washing his words with the music of modern language he strives to blur the line between poetry and song while considering the themes of race, culture, love, mental health, and masculinity.
As a poet, his work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Slate Magazine, Afropunk, Great Weather For Media, and The Odyssey. Bartley’s poetry has been published in The Careless Embrace of The Boneshaker Anthology as well as his collection of poetry and prose, Liquid Sunset. Cutting his teeth as a competitive slam poet and ranked 3rd in the world at Brave New Voices in 2013, Bartley has been writing, teaching, and performing poetry as an internationally touring artist for the better part of a decade. From The Apollo Theater to the United States General Assembly he has shared stages with The Wu Tang Clan, Russell Simmons, JID, Common, and more.
As a playwright he is an Alumni of the The Public Theaters #BarsLab and Devised Theater Working Group. His play Holes in the Shape of my Father, a story about the myth and miracle of boys becoming men, premiered Off Broadway at The Public Theater’s 2023 Under The Radar festival. His previous works have also been highlighted in Broadway World and Playbill.
Using poetry as an anchor in the fight for social change Bartley has worked alongside nonprofit and political organizations like The Black Panther Party, The United Nations, The George Floyd Foundation, and The Sierra Club to inspire action around climate change, racial equality, drug reform, and other social justice issues.
