Tonya Foster

Tonya Foster is an Assistant Professor of English at California College of the Arts, based in the Bay Area. She is a poet, essayist, and interdisciplinary scholar whose work critically examines themes of race, artistic authenticity, and surveillance. Her multimedia project Monkey Talk explores the dynamics between a Black female writer and a film industrialist, intertwined with FBI surveillance narratives. Foster’s creative practice challenges traditional boundaries of poetry, emphasizing experimental and collaborative approaches.

Education:

• Ph.D. in English, The Graduate Center, CUNY (2018)
• Adviser: Robert Reid-Pharr
• Collaborated with scholars including Meena Alexander, Édouard Glissant, and Wayne Koestenbaum during her doctoral studies

Research Interests: Foster’s work focuses on expanding poetic forms through multimedia and visual art, interrogating racial representation, and the intersection of artistry with institutional power. Her projects and publications—including the poetry collection A Swarm of Bees in High Court and bilingual chapbook La Grammaire des Os—reflect her commitment to interdisciplinary exploration. She co-edited Third Mind: Teaching Creative Writing Through Visual Art, further bridging literary and artistic disciplines.

Scientific Awards: In 2020, Foster received the $100,000 Creative Capital Award, which provides both project funding and career development support. This award acknowledges her innovative contributions to the fields of poetry and creative arts.

Advising & Grants: As a mentor, Foster encourages students to embrace diverse creative modes, stating, 'Read widely and wildly. To not feel that you have to be straight-jacketed into writing in one particular mode.' Her grant-funded projects (e.g., Creative Capital) highlight her focus on securing resources to sustain her writing and research. Her academic training at CUNY was shaped by collaborations with distinguished faculty like Ammiel Alcalay and Kandice Chuh.

Labs/Teams: Foster serves as an editor at Fence Magazine and The African American Review, contributing to literary platforms that amplify underrepresented voices in poetry and creative writing.