Brenda Marie Osbey

Brenda Marie Osbey was born December 12, 1957, in New Orleans. She is a poet, serving as the Poet Laureate of Louisiana from 2005 to 2007.

Her areas of interest include Afro-Francophone literature and letters; Afrolusophone poetry (late 19th, 20th centuries); Boom literature of Latin America; Classical essay form and creative nonfiction; Cultural history of Black New Orleans; LA Creole language/expression; Narrative forms; Poetry of Melvin B. Tolson, Jay Wright, Gayl Jones; Problems of literary translation.

Her awards and honors include and Honorary Doctor of Letters, Dickinson College, American Book Award (for All Saints: New and Selected Poems), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowship and many more.