Dr. de'Angelo DIA

Theopoet and mystic Dr. de'Angelo DIA examines culture and moral imagination through poetry, performance art, and photography. His work is grounded in the aesthetic of neo-Appalachian art, the charismatic nature of the Black church, mythology, and a multitude of theologies that inspire mysticism. DIA holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Communication and Sociology with a minor in Photography from Appalachian State University, a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies: Literature from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry from Union Presbyterian Seminary.



DIA’s poetry collections include bifurcation (Union Presbyterian Seminary, 2022), sacred|spaces (Theurgical Studies Press, 2024), and nightshade (Bottlecap Press, 2024). His forthcoming manuscript, Cocktails with Jesus, examines desire, grief, and radical tenderness through elegiac and experimental poetry. DIA's poems have appeared in BLACK BOY Journal, The Skinny Journal, Artists Writing on Liberation, and Cru Arts & Culture.

He is the recipient of awards and fellowships from Cave Canem, The Watering Hole, the Hurston/Wright Foundation, the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, and The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. DIA is the Community Relations Manager of Goodyear Arts based in Charlotte, NC.


Bio:

Spencer "p.s. edekot" Aubrey is a creative connector.  He was born in Scottsdale, Arizona in the summer of ’89 and remained there through his Bachelors of General Studies degree from Arizona State University and his Master of Arts in Poetry from Wilkes University.  He traveled to North Carolina to help his brother move in the summer of 2019 and chose to take up residence in the South in the months that followed.  He resides in the historic West End neighborhood of Winston-Salem, NC, and he spends his waking hours as a DJ, freelance poet, vocalist, curator, Community Manager at The CMPND, and pursues depth and authenticity in his faith and with his friends and family.  Spencer Aubrey was the Guest Curator for Amplify, a monthly music showcase through the Arts Council of Winston-Salem/Forsyth county, and is a Resident DJ at Bar Piña. He has been featured as a poet and interviewee in a documentary about the Boston Thurmond neighborhood through Wake Forest University, and has also published a poem and articles through the North Carolina Bards, North Carolina News Daily, and Barista Magazine. Spencer is currently a member of The Dwelling and credits the LORD for any and all good that has happened through him and his work.