Camonghne Felix (pronounced /kəmoʊn/ kuh-MOHN; born 1992)[1] is an American writer, poet, and communications strategist. In 2015, she was appointed as Governor Andrew Cuomo's speechwriter, and was the first black woman and youngest person to serve in the role. Her debut poetry collection, Build Yourself a Boat, was longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award.[2][3]
Camonghne Felix
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|---|---|
| Born |
Bronx, New York
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| Occupation(s) | Writer, poet, communications strategist |
| Notable work | Build Yourself a Boat (2019) |
Felix participated in the national slam poetry festival Brave New Voices and was featured in the festival's 2010 HBO series.[4] She published her first chapbook, Yolk, in 2015.[4] Her poetry was included in the 2018 anthology The Breakbeat Poets Volume 2: Black Girl Magic.[5]
Her debut poetry collection Build Yourself a Boat was released in April 2019 by Haymarket Books.[6][7] The poems cover topic such as sexual assault, abortion, and politics.[8] Build Yourself a Boat received positive critical reviews. Ian Hogdson of South Side Weekly described it as "an impressive first collection, highlighting Felix’s unmistakable voice and impressive talent."[4]
Glamour featured a poem Felix wrote and performed in honor of Breonna Taylor in the magazine's 2020 Women of the Year film.[9]
Felix worked as the head of racial justice initiatives at Do Something in 2015.[10] According to The Verge, she was fired after a meeting in which she suggested that the organization invest in Black communities after the murders of the Charleston Nine.[10]
She previously worked as a senior manager of communications at Ms.[2] In 2015, Felix was Gov. Andrew Cuomo's official speechwriter and was the first black woman and youngest person to hold the position.[2] In 2019, Felix was the communications director for the campaign of Chicago mayoral candidate Amara Enyia.[11] The next year, she was hired as the director of surrogates and strategic communications for Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential campaign.[2][4] As of 2020 she is the vice president of strategic communications at Blue State, a digital strategy firm.[12]
Felix was raised in The Bronx, New York.[13] She received her masters of fine arts degree from Bard College, and is mentored by Mahogany L. Browne.[14] She is queer.[15]
For Build Yourself a Boat:
| Title | Year | First published | Reprinted/collected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why I loved him | 2022 | — (May 30, 2022). "Why I loved him". The New Yorker. 98 (14): 51. |