Lester Eugene Mayers

Lester Eugene Mayers, a proud Brooklyn native, is an accomplished member of the Department of Theatre Arts at SUNY New Paltz and an MFA graduate from the prestigious Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. As a multi-talented director, writer, performance artist, dramaturg, choreographer, and educator, he currently holds faculty positions at Ramapo College and Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Excitingly, he was also the inaugural artist in residence at Ramapo College for 2023. In the spring of 2024, Mayers unveiled his debut studio poetry album, Exile: The Final Love Poem. This milestone will be celebrated with a concert on December 14, 2024, at SoMad, along with a poetic lookbook under the same title, marking his poignant farewell from pursuing poetic institutionalized exploration.

In the Spring of 2023, Mayers published his final book, a sex choreopoem that received an endorsement from National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center entitled Swallow From Both Ends; An Experience Not Written From A Distance, available on Amazon. Gay-Black-Feminine Mayers tackles aspects of life that the public has historically ignored. Self-defined as "a storyteller who goes where the story is," he has been published by NYU Press, Arsenal Pulp Press, Chronogram, Sojourner Truth Library, Colorado's Boulder Weekly, and I Am from Driftwood LGBTQ archive.

He has performed and taught at many universities & theaters, including Ramapo College, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, The Guthrie Theater, The Playwrights Center, SUNY New Paltz, Pace University, Delta State University, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Denizen Theater & Unframed Artist Gallery. Including online virtual readings and workshop facilitation.

His first book, 100 Poems for 100 Voices, resulted in a sold-out poetry tour and a poetry album available on iTunes, Spotify, and Tidal. Reception of four awards, including the Visionary Award from the National Advancement of Colored Woman Organization and two New York State proclamations. His second book of poetry, African Booty Scratcha (lovin da ashy-blaq fat chall wit yella teef, peasy head & a broken smile), debuted in November 2019. In February 2021, Mayers published a new critical examination book entitled A Spring of Gay-Black-Feminine Joy: A Critical Moment. In August 2021, Mayers crafted a highly anticipated visual archive with SoMad.NYC entitled Love Lessons With Lester. Followed up with a sold-out four-night live music and vocals sex poetry concert entitled New Dream Of Love; Live with Lester at SoMad.NYC in December of 2022.

In July of 2022, Mayers completed an Artist in Residency at The Playwrights' Center, where he wrote and workshopped three of his plays.

He is also a contributing writer in Between Certain Death and a Possible Future, featured on the List of the Most Anticipated on The New York Times, Oprah Daily, The Millions, and The Rumpus.

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“I don’t write from a distance. I don’t write for perfection. I don’t write for the institution. I write through feelings for what was, is, soon to be and will forever remain.”

-Lester Mayers.