Biography - B.F. Maiz

The poet has served as Special Consultant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of North Texas. For seven years he was the Campus Lay-Minister for Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. He has served as Resident Artist at more than a dozen universities. He has spoken and presented his poetry at over two hundred colleges and universities. He has been the Keynote speaker and a presenter for The American Academy of Psychotherapists, The American Marriage and Family Therapists; and the International mentors Association. He has published five books of poetry. Honorary doctor of Humane Letters Degrees have been bestowed upon the poet by Buena Vista University and the college of Waynesburg. On May 14, 1994 the poet was awarded the prestigious Wesleyan Peace and Justice Award by the Wesleyan Peace committee. It was granted to the poet for his continuing work with Youth Conflict Resolution. The award is held by only five other Americans.


WORDS ABOUT THE POET: Born in the South. Early adolescence and early adulthood spent in the Midwest, Chicago. Mother was an English teacher. Father was a political activist who worked in the factories. The poet's academic intellect was shaped by three great universities, Minnesota, Kansas and the University of Chicago. His spirituality was nurtured by the emotional sermons of the missionary Baptists and the logic and reason of the African Methodist Lectures. His soul was awakened by the spirituals, gospel songs, jazz and blues that are a part of African American Culture. Both his soul and his spirit and intellect have been fertilized by the poetry, novels and dramas of American, European and African writers.
The poet has served as Special Consultant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of North Texas. For seven years he was the Campus Lay-Minister for Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio. He has served as Resident Artist at more than a dozen universities. He has spoken and presented his poetry at over two hundred colleges and universities. He has been the Keynote speaker and a presenter for The American Academy of Psychotherapists, The American Marriage and Family Therapists; and the International mentors Association. He has published five books of poetry. Honorary doctor of Humane Letters Degrees have been bestowed upon the poet by Buena Vista University and the college of Waynesburg. On May 14, 1994 the poet was awarded the prestigious Wesleyan Peace and Justice Award by the Wesleyan Peace committee. It was granted to the poet for his continuing work with Youth Conflict Resolution. The award is held by only five other Americans.