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About the Author
Karla Brundage is a Pushcart Prize nominee, Fulbright teacher, and author of two books of poetry, Swallowing Watermelons and Mulatta- Not so Tragic, which was co-authored with Allison Francis. She has performed her work onstage and online, both nationally and internationally. Her poetry, short stories, and essays can be found in Konch, Hip Mama, sPARKLE & bLINK, Bamboo Ridge Press, and Vibe. Her work can be found at westoaklandtowestafrica.com as well as at karlabrundage.com
Founder Karla Brundage, conceived of the West Oakland to West Africa organization while living and working in West Africa from 2013 to 2016. As an African-American woman, she established West Oakland to West Africa with the mission of providing a connection to Africa for African-Americans, using poetry as a healing technology to traverse borders spiritually, if not physically. West Africa Poetry Exchange (WO2WA), which has facilitated cross-cultural exchange between Oakland and West African poets and the publication of three books Our Spirits Carry Our Voices, Sisters Across Oceans and the upcoming Black Rootedness collection. She has edited four collections including Oakland Out Loud (2007) and Words Upon the Waters (2006) both by Jukebox Press. Her poetry book, Swallowing Watermelons, was published by Ishmael Reed Publishing Company in 2006. A Bay Area based poet, activist, and educator with a passion for social justice. Born in Berkeley, California in the summer of love to a Black mother and white father, Karla spent most of her childhood in Hawaii where she developed a deep love of nature. Her musical loves include Hawaiian, West African, and Hip Hop sounds.
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