Words Make
Us Who We Are
Poet • Author • Teaching Artist
Phillip Shabazz
Writing that examines community, culture, and the lived experience in America.
Phillip Shabazz is a poet, author, and teaching artist whose work explores the intersections of identity, family, and social experience in the United States.
His poetry and prose are recognized for their clarity, emotional precision, and commitment to human connection, offering narratives that reflect both personal history and collective life.
Phillip was nominated by the North Carolina Arts Council for the William C. Friday Fellowship for Human Relations, in recognition of his contributions to arts education and community engagement.
He is also the creator of Living Words, an ongoing series of creative writing workshops focused on imagination, expression, and the power of language.
Latest Projects
Pearls in the Sea
“In a world that seems more fraught with trouble each passing day, Phillip Shabazz reminds us of the power of creativity, human connection, and the magic of writing. Shabazz has a gift when it comes to seeing light, and guiding others toward it. Pearls In The Sea highlights the importance of individuality and everyone's right to speak up and speak out.”
— Michael Jakubiak
Moonflower
“Phillip Shabazz’s new volume of poetry, Moonflower, is in every way intoxicating and mysterious as the night-blooming flower from which it borrows its title—and, indeed, the exotic bloom is a luminous beating trope throughout these prayerful, sensual narratives.”
— Joseph Bathanti
North Carolina Poet Laureate (2012–14)
and author of The 13th Sunday after Pentecost