Works by
Tonya Maria Matthews
(aka JaHipster)
(Poet)

Still Swingin': New and Selected Poems From these Hips  (2001, reprinted 2005)
Still Swingin' is a reprint of a book that Three Sistahs Press felt had gone out of print prematurely. In fact it was at the press' launch party in September 2004 that Matthews approached the publishers about bringing her book back into print. Matthews is perhaps better known in her east coast base of Baltimore as the spoken word artist JaHipster. The publishers felt that Matthews' strong poetic voice showed up as well on the page as it did when the poet performed. That quality - well written, strong poetry - combined with Matthews' established audience and packed performance schedule would provide a win-win as the publishers' first publication. Still Swingin' also fit nicely within Three Sistahs Press' mission to publish a mix of out-of-print, as well as new works by women of African descent they feel strongly about. Still Swingin' has a new introduction by poet jessica Care moore-Poole, well known spoken word artist and publisher in her own right. The book also has a boldly designed new cover and inside design which boasts new graphics and illustrations fronting each section. Matthews revised some of the 21 poems and added a few new poems. Matthews is an award winning poet, a recent recipient of a Cave Canem fellowship and a 2005 recipient of a Maryland State Arts Grant for her poetry.