Kaya Oakes

Last updated

Kaya Oakes is an American nonfiction writer and journalist from the San Francisco Bay Area of California.

Contents

Biography

She was born in Oakland and earned an MFA in creative writing at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga. [1]

Since 1999, Oakes has taught writing at the University of California, Berkeley, [2] where she is currently a Senior Continuing Lecturer [3] . She also is a senior correspondent for Religion Dispatches, a contributing writer for America magazine, and has written for The Guardian , Foreign Policy , and On Being . She writes a Substack, Residuum .

In 2002, she co-founded Kitchen Sink Magazine , which received the Utne Independent Press Award for Best New Magazine in 2003. [4] Oakes edited and wrote for Kitchen Sink until it ended its print run in 2007. She is an editor for the religion website Killing the Buddha. [5]

Books

Oakes' first book, Telegraph, a collection of poetry published in 2007, received the Transcontinental Poetry Prize from Pavement Saw Press in 2008. [6] Her nonfiction book, Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture, was published by Henry Holt in June 2009. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

In her memoir, Radical Reinvention: An Unlikely Return to the Catholic Church, published by Counterpoint in June 2012, Oakes, who had been raised Catholic, recounts how, after years of proudly calling herself an atheist and despite her frustration with Catholic conservatism, she returned to the Catholic faith. [16]

Oakes published her fourth book, The Nones Are Alright: A New Generation of Seekers, Believers, and Those In Between, with Orbis Books in 2015. It was a finalist for the 2015 Religion News Association best book award. The book examines the decline in participation in organized religion in America by profiling individuals who either fell away from or embraced religion. [17]

Her fifth book, The Defiant Middle: How Women Claim Life's In-Betweens to Remake the World was published with Broadleaf Books (the adult nonfiction imprint of 1517 Media) in November 2021. [18] The book explores women acting subversively and claiming power in institutions and societies that often marginalize them, using examples from history, fiction, and religious texts. [19]

Oakes' sixth book is Not So Sorry: Abusers, False Apologies, and the Limits of Forgiveness, published with Broadleaf Books in July 2024. [20] The book explores forgiveness as a complex spiritual, psychological, and physical process. In an interview about the book, Oakes critiqued the way forgiveness is deployed in Christian faith communities: "Christians unfortunately use forgiveness as an excuse to sweep things under the rug, and as a result, accountability is ill-defined"; she called for specifics on accountability and turning from forgiveness as the "end of a story" to "the beginning of a bigger conversation about grace, compassion, and individual and systemic change." [21]

Honors

Oakes has been the recipient of teaching fellowships from the Mellon Faculty Institute [22] and the Bay Area Writing Project, as well as a writing prize from the Academy of American Poets. Oakes has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize in nonfiction.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxine Hong Kingston</span> Chinese American author and teacher

Maxine Hong Kingston is an American novelist. She is a Professor Emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated with a BA in English in 1962. Kingston has written three novels and several works of non-fiction about the experiences of Chinese Americans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavement (band)</span> American indie rock band

Pavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, California, in 1989. For most of their career, the group consisted of Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kannberg, Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums), and Bob Nastanovich. Initially conceived as a recording project, the band at first avoided press or live performances, while attracting considerable underground attention with their early releases. Gradually evolving into a more polished band, Pavement recorded five full-length albums and ten EPs over the course of their decade-long career, though they disbanded with some acrimony in 1999 as the members moved on to other projects. In 2010, they undertook a well-received reunion tour, followed by another international tour in 2022–24.

Susan Griffin is a radical feminist philosopher, essayist and playwright particularly known for her innovative, hybrid-form ecofeminist works.

<i>Slanted and Enchanted</i> 1992 studio album by Pavement

Slanted and Enchanted is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992, by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert N. Bellah</span> American sociologist (1927–2013)

Robert Neelly Bellah was an American sociologist and the Elliott Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. He was internationally known for his work related to the sociology of religion.

Garrit Allan Robertson Young was an American musician and music producer. He was best known as the original drummer of the indie rock band Pavement from its inception in 1989 until his departure in 1993.

<i>The Natural Bridge</i> 1996 studio album by Silver Jews

The Natural Bridge is the second studio album by indie rock group the Silver Jews. Released in 1996 as an LP and CD on Drag City (DC101) in America and Domino (WIG28) in Europe, The Natural Bridge was engineered and mixed by Michael Deming and Thom Monahan and features cover art by Mike Flood. Featured musicians include: David Berman; Matt Hunter; Rian Murphy; Peyton Pinkerton; and Michael Deming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Cousineau</span> American writer, academic and filmmaker

Philip Robert Cousineau is an American author, lecturer, independent scholar, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker. He lives in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie What</span> American author

Leslie What is a Nebula Award-winning writer of speculative, literary fiction and nonfiction with three books and nearly 100 short stories and essays to her credit. An attendee of Clarion Workshop, she lives in Oregon. She won the Nebula in 1999 for the short story, The Cost of Doing Business, and in 2005, she was a finalist for the Nebula, along with Eileen Gunn, for their co-written novelette, Nirvana High.

Dorothy Mavis Jukes is an American author of novels for children. She has also published nonfiction books for children and pre-teens about puberty. Her books are usually health-based. She has also written the text for picture books under the name Iris Hudson.

Ariel Gore is a journalist, memoirist, novelist, nonfiction author, and teacher. Gore has authored more than ten books. Gore's fiction and nonfiction work also explores creativity, spirituality, queer culture, and positive psychology. She is the founding editor/publisher of Hip Mama, an Alternative Press Award-winning publication covering the culture and politics of motherhood. Through her work on Hip Mama, Gore is widely credited with launching maternal feminism and the contemporary mothers' movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Solnit</span> American writer (born 1961)

Rebecca Solnit is an American writer. She has written on a variety of subjects, including feminism, the environment, politics, place, and art.

Maud Van Cortlandt Oakes (1903–1990) was an ethnologist, artist and writer who published her research into the cultures of indigenous tribes in the Americas, including the Navajo of the American Southwest and the Mam of Guatemala. She is best known for her books recording these tribes' ceremonies, art and stories.

<i>Actual Air</i>

Actual Air is a book of poetry written by David Berman and published by Open City Books in July 1999. A limited hardcover version was published by Drag City in August 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel James Brown</span> American author

Daniel James Brown is an American author of narrative nonfiction books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Chang (journalist)</span> American journalist

Jeff Chang is an American historian, journalist, and music critic on hip hop music and culture. His 2005 book, Can't Stop Won't Stop, which won the Before Columbus Foundation's American Book Award, chronicles the early hip hop scene. His writing has appeared in URB, BOMB, San Francisco Chronicle, The Village Voice, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Vibe, Spin, The Nation, and Mother Jones. He has also been featured on NPR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paula Huston</span> American novelist

Paula Huston is an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and creative nonfiction writer.

Kaya Press is an independent non-profit publisher of writers of the Asian and Pacific Islander diaspora. Founded in 1994 by the postmodern Korean writer Soo Kyung Kim, Kaya Press is housed in the Department of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

Christine Hyung-Oak Lee is an American writer best known for her book, Tell Me Everything You Don’t Remember, a memoir about her stroke and recovery, published by Ecco Books in 2017. The book is based on her 2014 BuzzFeed essay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cynthia Haven</span> American literary scholar, critic, slavicist, and journalist (born 1963)

Cynthia L. Haven is an American literary scholar, author, critic, Slavicist, and journalist.

References

  1. ↑ "MFA Alumni". Saint Mary's College of California. Archived from the original on 2009-12-19.
  2. ↑ "College Writing Programs". University of California, Berkeley.
  3. ↑ Oakes, Kaya (2024-07-18). "Reemergence". Residuum. Retrieved 2024-07-19.
  4. ↑ "Winners of the 2003 Utne Independent Press Awards". Utne Independent Press.
  5. ↑ "Kaya Oakes". 29 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "Kaya Oakes "Telegraph"". Pavement Saw Books.
  7. ↑ "Kaya Oakes". MacMillan.
  8. ↑ Loeb, Eryn (2010-08-16). "'Slanted and Enchanted,' by Kaya Oakes". San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. ↑ "'Slanted and Enchanted' by Kaya Oakes conjures the indie culture and its consequences". Cleveland Plain Dealer. 28 June 2009.
  10. ↑ Bigge, Ryan (2009-07-19). "More than skinny jeans". Toronto Star.
  11. ↑ "Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture by Kaya Oakes". Bookslut.
  12. ↑ "Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture by Kaya Oakes". Popmatters.
  13. ↑ "Nonfiction Reviews". Publishers Weekly.
  14. ↑ "Kaya Oakes". Amoeblog.
  15. ↑ "An inside look at indie culture". The Oregonian. July 2009.
  16. ↑ "CWP Lecturer's Book Praised by Publishers Weekly". University of California Berkeley College Writing Programs
  17. ↑ McCarthy, Christine E. (2016-11-05). "The Nones Are Alright: A New Generation of Believers, Seekers, and Those in Between by Kaya Oakes (review)". American Catholic Studies. 127 (3): 81–83. doi:10.1353/acs.2016.0052. ISSN   2161-8534. S2CID   151819991.
  18. ↑ "The Defiant Middle: How Women Claim Life's In-Betweens to Remake the World". Broadleaf Books. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  19. ↑ "'The Defiant Middle' makes a case for women to be unapologetically courageous and bold | National Catholic Reporter". www.ncronline.org. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  20. ↑ "Not So Sorry: Abusers, False Apologies, and the Limits of Forgiveness". Broadleaf Books. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  21. ↑ "The limits of forgiveness". Presbyterian Mission Agency. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  22. ↑ "Faculty Fellows". Mellon Faculty Institute.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.