About the Poet
Douglas Powell, artistically Roscoe Burnems, is an author, spoken-word artist, educator, TEDx Youth speaker, and Richmond, Virginia’s first poet laureate. He is the author of the collections God, Love, Death and Other Synonyms (310 Brown Street, 2019), Chrysalis Under Fire (The Writer’s Den, LLC, 2018), and Fighting Demons (Prysmatic Dreams Publishing, 2014). He has been published in numerous literary journals and magazines. In his time as a slam poet, he has been a two-time regional team finalist, and National Poetry Slam Champion. As a poetry slam coach, he has been a NPS Group Piece finalist and taken VCU’s poetry team to rank 3rd internationally. His first poetry and comedy special, Traumedy, is streaming on Amazon Prime and other platforms.
Region
Central
Virginia City or County Affiliation
North Chesterfield
Years of Residence in Virginia
35
Current City/State of Residence
Richmond, VA
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
Black or African American
Year of Birth
1986
Keywords/Tags
Social justice, spirituality, fatherhood, mental health
Website
Published Works or Performances
Books:
- God, Love, Death and Other Synonyms, 310 Brown Street, 2019.
- Chrysalis Under Fire: A Collection of Poetry and Writings, The Writer’s Den, LLC, 2018.
- Fighting Demons, Prysmatic Dreams Publishing, 2014.
Video:
- Traumedy, Prime Video.
Selected Individual Poems or Performances
Selected Poems:
- “An Anthem For Removal,” Slover Library, 2021.
- “First”, “Therapy”, “Questions I Ask While Spiraling Mid Depression”, "On Social Media They Said Let’s Play a Game,” Parhelion Literary Magazine, 2021.
- “The Truth About God,” For Lack Of Better Words, 2020.
- “Dearly Beloved, An Ode,” Freeze Ray Poetry, 2018.
- “Physics Lesson for Officer Darren Wilson,” “And…And…And…,” and “Bastard and Bite,” Drunk in a Midnight Choir, 2015-2016.
Selected Performances:
- “Lady At the Counter,” Button Poetry, 2016. YouTube.
- "Kiss” and “Lycanthropy," TEDx Youth@RVA: Rewriting Masculinity, 2020. YouTube.
- “The Truth About God/Agnostic,” Write About Now, 2017. YouTube.
Douglas Powell (Roscoe Burnems)