Poet, activist, and spoken word performer Jayne Cortez delivered a dozen lectures at the University of Connecticut, spanning the years 1972 to 1987. Cortez was a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship winner and the spouse of sculptor, Melvin Edwards, also a frequent lecturer to the course. In her 1972 lecture, Cortez read over half dozen selections from her 1971 book "Festivals and Funerals." Poems included "Initation," "Lonely Woman," "Watching a Parade in Harlem," and "Screams." She dedicated her poem "I Am the Worker" to "all my sisters in the garment industry." Her piece, "Dinah's Back in Town" (written for the late blues singer Dinah Washington) generated a lively response from the student audience because of the poem's language and content. She concluded her lecture with a reading of her poem, "Solo." In her 1984 lecture, Cortez read from her 1982 publication "Firespitter." She told students about growing up in Los Angeles, originally wanting to be an actress and director, and traveling throughout Europe and Africa to perform at poetry festivals. Her presentation ended with a musicial performance that featured the accompaniment of drummer Abraham Adzenyah who also spoke to the Black Experience in the Arts course. Cortez spoke on 5/12/1972 (2015-0002/RR20), 11/28/1972 (2015-0002/RR74), 12/4/1973 (2015-0002/RR75), 2/18/1975 (2015-0002/RR76), 4/11/1978 (2015-0002/RR77), 2/19/1980 (2015-0002/RR78), 4/7/1981 (2015-0002/RR79), 3/30/1982 (2015-0002/RR80), 3/22/1983 (2015-0002/RR81), 2/7/1984 (2015-0002/RR19), 2/4/1986 (2015-0002/RR82), 2/24/1987 (2015-0002/RR83).
Jayne Cortez, poet; performance artist, was born Sally Jayne Richardson in 1934 in Fort Huachuca, Arizona. She took the surname Cortez, the maiden name of her maternal grandmother, early in her artistic career. She attended Compton Junior College; studied drama at Ebony Showcase in Los Angeles; and was informally educated in African American music and oral traditions. In 1964, Cortez cofounded the Watts Repertory Theater Company; she served as artistic director of the company until 1970. In 1969, Cortez published her first poetry collection, Pissstained Stairs and the Monkey Man's Wares. Jayne Cortex dies December 28, 2012 in New York City, aged 78.