“Loves music. Loves
dance.
Loves the moon. Loves the Spirit.
Loves love
and food and
roundness.
Loves struggle.
Loves the Folk.
Loves herself.
Regardless.”
–Alice Walker’s definition of Womanist, 1983
And loves when it all comes together.
I’m Mariam I. Williams. I write to find answers, dance to find joy, and teach to build and grow in community.
I am
a Black, Christian woman born and raised in Kentucky by radical, creative, black and feminist parents and a churchgoing extended family
who studies
Black folk throughout the African diaspora, women’s and gender studies, religion, dance, and the craft of creative writing
and who creates
memoir, essays, and poetry; choreography; and workshops, courses, and programs that center, celebrate, and affirm Black women. In the process, my work reveals black humanity, gives dimensionality to Black womanhood, and provides new ways of thinking, healing, and being for all people.
CREDENTIALS
VONA
Disquiet
MFA, Rutgers University-Camden
Public History Certificate, Rutgers University-Camden
Screenwriting Certificate, UCLA
Published In: Ninth Letter, The Common, Salon, EBONY, Bozalta, The Feminist Wire, National Catholic Reporter, Courier-Journal, Longreads, Apiary, etc.
Teaching artist with: The ArtWell, Rutgers Early College Humanities (REaCH) Program, Art Sanctuary, Mighty Writers, Nick Virgilio Writers House and Haiku Association
Awarded by: Society of Professional Journalists – Louisville Chapter, Kentucky Women Writers Conference, Kentucky Foundation for Women, Kentucky Arts Council, Fulbright (finalist), University of Louisville Juneteenth Playwriting Festival, Rutgers University
Seeking Representation
Mariam I. Williams
Writer. Dancer. Educator.
My work is to reaffirm our resilience.
© 2025 by Mariam I. Williams
SOCIALIZE
