Raquel Rivera

Raquel Rivera is an Adjunct Professor at Southern Methodist University (SMU), specializing in African American Literature, Creative Writing, and Contemporary Southern Novelists. With over 20 years of teaching experience, she is also a noted poet and fiction writer. Her work explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, and social justice, with publications in journals like African American Review and The Southern Review.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in English and Creative Writing, Binghamton University
  • M.A. in English, Hollins University
  • M.S. in Human Resource Development, Georgia State University
  • B.S. in Marketing, University of Georgia

Research Interests: Dr. Rivera focuses on banned books and censorship, literary novellas by women, and contemporary Black poets. She curates Raq ⭐: The Official Ratchet Auntie Playlist, a 3,500+ song collection blending Black music, history, and culture to enhance literary analysis.

Awards:

• Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award (2015)
• Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award (2016)
• Peregrine Prize (1999)
• Pushcart Prize nominations
• Callaloo and Idyllwyld Fellowships

Labs/Teams: Her playlist curation project emphasizes intertextuality in Black literature through music, bridging historical work songs and modern genres like trap and ambient.