World renowned poet, Sonia Sanchez, author of more than fifteen books, including "Shake Loose My Skin: New and Selected Poems," will headline the 4th Annual Buffalo/Williamsville Poetry, Music, Dance Celebration at Kleinhans Music Hall, Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 7 pm. This one-of-a-kind art celebration is free and open to the public.

Sanchez's readings will be just one of the many thought provoking displays of artistic creativity as the Celebration brings students from Buffalo and Williamsville school districts together to collaborate in displaying their artistic creativities while allowing friendships to be made. The creativity and uniqueness of this event, which is the result of yearlong preparation, has won acclaim from the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors through a recent $70,000 grant from the New York State Music Fund.

A poet, activist, and teacher, Sanchez's work addresses the history of African-Americans from slavery to modern periods of oppression. She is a master of haiku, tanka, and villanelle, reconstructing them to create her distinctive poetic style that mixes street speech with sophisticated formality. Having worked with Malcolm X in the New York activist group CORE, Sanchez refers to him and Martin Luther King Jr. as her influencers.

Sanchez is a 2001 recipient of the Robert Frost medal in poetry. She was awarded the Langston Hughes Poetry Award in 1999 and in 1998 received nominations for both the National Book Critics Circle and the NAACP Image Awards. Among numerous other honors, she was granted a Pew Fellowship in the Arts for 1992-1993.

"Homegirls & Handgrenades" earned Sanchez the 1985 American Book Award. Additionally, she is the author of "Homecoming"; "Does Your House Have Lions" and "Like the Singing Coming Off the Drums". As a contributing editor to both Black Scholar and to the Journal of African Studies, she has edited two anthologies: "We Be Word Sorcerers: 25 Stories by Black Americans" and "360 Degrees of Blackness Coming at You."

Sanchez was born in Birmingham, Alabama, living later in Harlem, N.Y. and Philadelphia, P.A. Educated at Hunter College and New York University she held the Laura Carnell Chair in English at Temple University, where she was a tenured professor of English and Women's Studies before retiring. She has given literary presentations in Cuba, England, the West Indies, and China.

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