Georgia born writer Shay Youngblood is author of the novels Black Girl in Paris and Soul Kiss (Riverhead Books) and a collection of short fiction, The Big Mama Stories (Firebrand Books). Her plays Amazing Grace, Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery and Talking Bones, (Dramatic Publishing Company), have been widely produced. Her other plays include Black Power Barbie and Communism Killed My Dog. She completed a radio play, Explain Me the Blues for WBGO Public Radio's Jazz Play Series. The recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Pushcart Prize for fiction, a Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, an Edward Albee honoree, several NAACP Theater Awards, an Astraea Writers' Award for fiction and a 2004 New York Foundation for the Arts Sustained Achievement Award.

Ms. Youngblood graduated from Clark-Atlanta University and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Brown University. Her fiction, articles and essays have been published in Oprah magazine, Good Housekeeping, Black Book and Essence magazines among others. She has worked as a Peace Corp Volunteer in the Eastern Caribbean, an Au Pair, Artist's Model, and Poet's Helper in Paris and Creative Writing instructor in a Rhode Island Women's Prison. She is a board member of both Yaddo artists' colony and the Author's Guild. She has taught Creative Writing at NYU and was the 2002-03 John and Renee Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi.

2000	Black Girl in Paris, novel, Riverhead Books
1997	Soul Kiss, novel, Riverhead Books editions in German, French and Portuguese
1989	Big Mama Stories, short fiction, Firebrand Books German edition
1993	Shakin' The Mess Outta Misery, Talking Bones & Amazing Grace (1998) plays, Dramatic Publishing Company
1983-present	Articles, Short Stories, Poetry, Essays published in Essence, Oprah Magazine, Black Issues Book Review, Black Renaissance Noir, Good Housekeeping, Black Book Magazine and others

2002-2003	John & Renee Grisham Writer-in-Residence, University of Mississippi Creative Writing Workshop
2001-2002	Visiting Professor, New York University, Graduate Program in Creative Writing, Fiction Workshop
1998	Lecturer, New School University, Eugene Lang College Taught Undergraduates Creative Writing
1995-1997	Cole Visiting Professor, Wheaton College Taught undergraduates Black Women's Literature and Creative Writing
1992-1993	Teaching Assistant/Instructor, Brown University Taught undergraduates Beginning and Intermediate Playwriting
1992	Playwriting Instructor, Rhode Island Prison Program Adult Correctional Institution for Women
1987-present	Creative Writing Workshop Instructor and Lecturer American University, Brown University, Boston College, Bronx Community College, Chicago Art Institute, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Emory University, New York University, Spelman College and others; Elementary and High Schools; National and Regional conferences; Museums, Senior Centers, Public Libraries and Art Programs.

1988-present 1998-present	SHAKIN' THE MESS OUTTA MISERY, two act play numerous regional productions AMAZING GRACE, full length children's play numerous regional productions
1995	TALKING BONES, two act play Horizon Theatre
1994	Penumbra Theater Company, Full production
1993	Crossroads Theater Company, Reading
1992	Bay Area Playwrights' Festival, Staged Workshop

	SQUARE BLUES, two act play
1993	Theater Exchange & Bay Area Playwrights' Festival, San Francisco, Showcase Production and Reading
1992	Women's Project, Reading
	BLACK POWER BARBIE, two act play
1995	Frontera Theater, Austin TX, Full production
1993 1992	Brown University New Play Festival, Workshop Seven Stages Theater Short, Short Play Festival, Production, Atlanta, GA

2004-2005	New York Foundation for the Arts, Sustained Achievement Award
2002	John and Renee Grisham Writer in Residence, Teaching Fellowship
1993	Astraea Award for Fiction
1993	Kennedy Center's Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award TALKING BONES
1991	Hollywood NAACP Theater Awards SHAKIN' THE MESS OUTTA MISERY, Received "Best" Playwright, Producer, Director and Supporting Actor
1990	Pushcart Prize, BORN WITH RELIGION, Short Story
1990	Mayor's Award for the Arts, City of Atlanta, Literature Prize
1989	New York State Council on the Arts, Writing Residency
1989	Susan Smith Blackburn Playwriting Prize, Finalist SHAKIN' THE MESS OUTTA MISERY
1989	Townsend Book Award, Nominee, BIG MAMA STORIES
1989	Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Individual Artist Grant
1988	Georgia Council on the Arts, Individual Artist Grant
1987	American Aid Society of Paris, Individual Artist Grant
1987 and 1986	Money for Women Fund, Fannie Lou Hamer Award
1984 - present	ARTIST COLONY FELLOWSHIPS Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, Karolyi Foundation of France, Blue Mountain Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and Hambidge Center for the Arts

1991-1993	Brown University, Providence, RI M.F. A. Creative Writing
1979-1981	Clark-Atlanta University , Atlanta, GA B.A. Mass Communications