Christian – 29 – Poet/Musician/Host/etc. – Chattanooga, TN

Bio

Christian J. Collier was born in Slidell, LA and is the author of two chapbooks with the most recent being Ghosts & Echoes, which has sold over 500 copies solely off the strength of readings and performances.

His works have been published in such publications as Oysters & Chocolate, DEBACLE, The New Writer, and The Origami Poetry Project to name a few. He is also the founder, promoter, and host of The Speakeasy poetry/spoken word open-mic and the MANIFEST arts series in Chattanooga, TN.

In 2011 alone, Mr. Collier was a finalist for The Young Professional Association of Chattanooga’s Artist of the Year Award and was featured on the IndieFeed Performance Poetry Channel. The site prides itself on featuring the best spoken word artists working in the field today. Mr. Collier was also the recipient of a C.A.F.E. Grant through Planet Altered for his MANIFEST series.

Favorites (hover / click to see name)

  • music

    • Ian Kamau
    • De La Soul
    • Brother Ali
    • Minus the Bear
    • Dessa
  • movies

    • City of God
    • Bad Santa
    • Coffy
    • The Fantastic Mr. Fox
    • Malcolm X
  • publications

    • The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
    • The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
    • Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley
    • Neon Verncaular by Yusef Komunyakaa
    • Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
  • I am BlerdNation because...

    I feel connected to so many things that transcend race, stereotype, etc. For most of my life, I've felt responsible for defining myself as I see fit as opposed to fulfilling a role governed by race and the preconceptions of others.

  • Who is your blerd role model? Why?

    I have so many Blerd role models, but I'm going to go with MF Doom. Anyone who's willing to embrace their love of comics, actively wear a metallic mask, and rap in different characters and in different eras is a pretty apt choice in my book.

  • How do you stay connected to other blerds?

    The Internet has made it very easy to catch wind of other Blerds globally. Plus, having more Blerds in the mainstream has made it very easy. Through W. Kamau Bell alone, I've learned of a number of Blerds that I turned around and followed on Twitter.

  • What’s your most awkward blerd moment?

    Hmmm. There have been many, but a recent one was when I went with some friends to see The Avengers movie this past summer. At the very end, I exclaimed "THANOS!" way too loud for a grown Black man to ever do so.

  • What’s your favorite word/phrase?

    Here are some of my favorites: 1. Nice 2. Dun, dun, dunnnn 3. We've got options

  • What are your goals/passions?

    My goals for this year are to continue to grow as a man and an artist, finish and release my debut EP, produce more music for myself and others, and take more chances.

  • What are you listening to, watching, or reading that impacts you or that is giving you a different perspective?

    Brother Ali's discography has been in heavy rotation for the past four years. He's an artist that is very upfront about his continuing evolution and development as a human, and his music reflects that.

  • Are there any famous, or not-so-famous, people that you think would be a great addition to BlerdNation?

    I think W. Kamau Bell is absolutely PERFECT for this site.

  • What advice would you give to other blerds?

    Now is the best time in a long time to own who you are and embrace your beliefs. Be you!

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