Pamela Sneed

(USA) is a New York City-based poet, performer, visual artist, and educator. She is the author of Sweet Dreams (2018), KONG and Other Works (2009) and Imagine Being More Afraid of Freedom than Slavery (1998). Her memoir Funeral Diva (2020), a poetry and prose book, documents growing up in the midst of the AIDS crisis, and focuses specifically on the experiences of Black queer women. Sneed has toured poetry and performance works domestically and abroad. Her recent show, A Tribute to Big Mama Thornton, premiered in 2024 at the Torpedo Theater in Amsterdam. Written and conceived by Sneed, it is a cabaret performance dedicated to the unsung Black woman founder of rock and roll. With a band, music and monologue Sneed sings, speaks and celebrates aspects of Willie Mae Thornton’s life. She won a 2023 Creative Capital award in literature as well as a 2024 NYSCA grant in poetry. Her visual work has appeared in group shows at the Ford Foundation, Company Gallery, and more.

Instagram: @pamela.sneed