C. Alexandra Allen was born in Mount Vernon, New York and raised in the borough of Queens, New York. In 1992, she began her studies at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated in 1996 with honors, receiving a B.A. in Psychology. In 2006, she received her M.S. in Psychology from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

As a self-identified “child of the 1970’s living in the digital world with a 1960’s mindset,” C. Alexandra Allen discovered writing as a form of self-expression at the age of fourteen. Her love for the written word soon grew to the level that she began to pursue writing professionally. However, her work was often rejected by publishers because they did not view it as having mainstream appeal. Nevertheless, she continued to receive inspiration from the works of established writers such as Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, Zora Neale Hurston, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Sylvia Plath. C. Alexandra found these women to be candid, strong, and outspoken. Moreover, they were fearless.

At age 28, she created an avenue to share her work with the world by self-publishing her first book of poetry entitled The Revolution of Eve in 2002. In 2009, her sophomore piece In the Nude was published under the Devreux Publishing & Art Media, LLC (DPAM) imprint which she launched in 2007. Her vision is to create a worldwide artistic legacy by developing, presenting and distributing works which are representative of the multi-faceted life experiences of people of color through the utilization of written and visual media.

C. Alexandra Allen is driven by the desire to create literary art that moves readers to laugh, to cry, to self-reflect, to celebrate and to change. According to C. Alexandra, “Readers often look to the writer to help them experience things that they may have feared exploring or feeling in their solitude. In that sense, the writer is equivalent to a thespian performing in the round. The pen is our microphone. Paper is our stage. Readers are our audience. Words are our possibilities. Life is our muse.”

C. Alexandra Allen actively supports a variety of charitable causes. She is single and currently resides in Georgia.

 

In the Nude
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Paperback: 90 pages
Publisher: Devreux Publishing & Art Media, LLC (DPAM); First Edition edition (February 16, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615208207
ISBN-13: 978-0615208206

Book Description:
In the Nude is an impressive collection of poetry that embraces readers from all walks of life. C. Alexandra Allen writes with a brilliant fearlessness about politics, hip-hop, loss of innocence, spirituality, and matters of the heart. This introspective piece is about celebrating who you are. It is about learning life lessons and growth. Moreover, at some moments, In the Nude is an ode to redemption. C. Alexandra Allen explores each of these themes with confidence. She does not disappoint those coming along for the journey.  

Excerpt from In the Nude

Black Boys

Forever ain’t as long as it used to be
Seen too many mamas on church roll
On bloodied knees during alter calls praying for miracles
Screaming don’t put no white sheets over my baby please
Like the devil got hold of their soul
Foretelling the future of the XY chromosome with cries
Cuz son’s lives were stolen during papa’s erection
Prior to mama’s conception
Still streets fill with untrained brown soldiers marching across an urban landscape masquerading as civilians
Class third rate
Uniformed in bandanas
Building mafia style camps like Montana’s
The image of boys
Never men
As enforcers look for boys gone MIA using money and power as decoys
Carrying out an organized hit on black boys

Copyright © 2008 by C. Alexandra Allen

 

The Revolution of Eve
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Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation (April 3, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401039340
ISBN-13: 978-1401039349

Book Description:
The Revolution of Eve is a thought provoking and unique series of poems that serves as the inaugural piece of an artist on the verge of her literary breakthrough

 

Excerpt from The Revolution of Eve

Untitled II

From the back of the bus
To the back of a limousine
The child with a 4.0
The child with hoop dreams

From Colored
To Negro
To African-American
To “People of Color”
Too Black
Not Black enough

From coach class
To middle class
Upper class
No class
From mammies and minstrel shows
To tokenism
The realism…
Racism
From the cotton fields
To corporate seats
From million dollar mansions
To living in the streets

Copyright © 2001 by C. Alexandra Allen