Terry A O'Neal

Bestselling author, Terry a O’Neal, whose poetry has been published in numerous magazines, journals and newspapers around the world has been named among the most popular African American female writers of our time, featured in a book entitled “Literary Divas: The Top 100+ Most Admired African American Women in Literature”–a list of women who’ve left a mark on the wider world through their writing.

Her previous publications include three volumes of poetry, Motion Sickness, The Poet Speaks in Black and Good Mornin’ Glory; two children’s books Ev’ry Little Soul and My Jazz Shoes; the award-winning southern fiction novel Sweet Lavender; and her latest (2014) release of The Sparrow’s Plight: Woes of a 21st Century Black Poet with an introduction by Rudolph Lewis.

Drawing inspiration from the powerful voices of the Harlem Renaissance, O’Neal’s work is shaped by poets like Langston Hughes, Carolyn M. Rodgers, and Gwendolyn Brooks. Their honest reflections of Black life, identity, and social reality continue to echo through her writing. Like Hughes, she leans into the rhythm and cadence of everyday Black life, while Brooks’ quiet, observant lens informs the emotional depth of her work. Rodgers’ focus on identity and resistance also finds its way into her voice. Written in what Terry A. O’Neal calls Sepia Modernism, her work carries these influences forward, bringing the past into the present without dressing it up, just truth, as it is, making her writing both a continuation and an evolution of that literary tradition.​

Her works are world renowned, recognized in South Africa, Iran, Jamaica, Australia, Canada, Bermuda, and across America. In March 2004, her poetry was translated into the Persian language and featured in the Persian Magazine Golestaneh. In addition, O’Neal has been featured on PBS, CNN, KVIE, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, FOX, and a host of television, radio, and print media programs.

In 2008, O’Neal ventured into the world of screenwriting, focusing on inspirational feature films for family audiences. Her most popular screenplay was the adaptation of her award-winning novel, Sweet Lavender. Under her independent film production company, Motion Productions, Along the Dirt Road went into pre-production in late 2012. Faced with budget constraints and production team changes, Along the Dirt Road closed production in 2014, and the screenplay reverted back to its original title, Sweet Lavender, which is currently awaiting production.

O’Neal is well-known for her dedication and time devoted to uplifting today’s youth, encouraging them to “carry out their dream, no matter how unlikely it may seem”. She is the editor of the publication, Make Some Noise! A Youth Poetry Anthology, an anthology for youth ages 12-18.

In 2017, a special edition of the anthology was released: Make Some Noise IV! A Baton Rouge Youth Poetry Anthology, featuring the profound poetry, prose, and short stories of Baton Rouge teens. The works in this collection focus on the Great Louisiana flood, the tragic police shootings in Baton Rouge Parish, social awareness, race, and relevant personal issues that today’s youth face in their day-to-day lives.

O’Neal is also the founder of the Chloe African American Cemetery Preservation Association, a grassroots initiative devoted to restoring and protecting historic burial grounds, preserving ancestral memory, and honoring the lives and legacies rooted in the land. She is also the founder of the National Black History Bee, a trivia competition designed to engage students in African American history.

Some of her upcoming works include a missing person's documentary 'Hope of Finding Son: The Maurice Red Jefferson Story'; and Sweet Lavender, the stage play adaptation.

"Her poems are reflective of African American culture and at the same time underscore our universal humanity."

~Dr. Kevin Starr

State Librarian of California

O'Neal currently resides in Long Beach, CA.