Carl Hancock Rux

Carl Hancock Rux, (b. March 24th, 1971, Harlem, New York) is a published poet, playwright, novelist, essayist and recording artist. He is the author of the collection of poetry, "Pagan Operetta" (Village Voice Literary Prize); the novel "Asphalt" and the play "Talk". Succeeding playwright Suzan-Lori Parks Rux is also Head of the MFA Playwrights Program at California Institute of the Arts.

Born Carl Stephen Hancock in Harlem, New York, Rux's biological mother was institutionalized for schizophrenia while he was still an infant. After his grandmother died when he was four, he and his brothers would grow up separately in foster homes. He was eventually adopted by his maternal uncle and aunt, who legally added Rux (of German/French Huguenot derivation) to his name.

A graduate of the LaGuardia High School (where he studied both visual art and voice), and an alumnus of Columbia University, Carl Hancock Rux began his career as a playwright with "Song of Sad Young Men", produced off-Broadway in 1990, directed by Tony award winning actress Trazana Beverly and starring actor Isaiah Washington. The play, a social commentary on the effect of AIDS and homelessness on the African American community, was written in response to Rux's older brother's death from AIDS in 1989.

Carl Hancock Rux is among several poets and spoken word artists to emerge in the early 90s from the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe on New York's Lower East Side including (Paul Beatty, Tracie Morris, Dael Orlandersmith, Willie Perdomo, Kevin Powell, Maggie Estep, Reg E. Gaines, Edwin Torres, Saul Williams, Tish Benson).

In 1994, after the release of the anthology, "Voices From the Nuyorican Poets Cafe", Rux was selected by the New York Times Magazine as "One of Thirty Artists Under The Age Of Thirty Most Likely to Influence Culture Over The Next Thirty Years"(others included Academy Award winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Pulitzer prize winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, choreographer Ron Brown, rapper Nas, singer Audra McDonald,pop music DJ Moby, and theater composer Adam Guettel). In 1998, upon the publication of his first book of poetry, "Pagan Operetta", he received the "Village Voice Literary" prize and was featured on the weekly's cover story: "Eight Writers on the Verge of (Impacting) the Literary Landscape."

In 2004, upon publication of his first novel, "Asphalt", Rux was featured on the cover of the New York Times magazine. Rux recorded three CDs, Rux Revue (Sony/Epic), produced by the Dust Brothers,Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf, featuring drummers Joey Waronker (formerly of "REM"), and keyboardists Atom Ellis and James Hall, voted one of the top ten alternative music CDs of 1998 (New York Times/Year in Music); Apothecary Rx(Giant Step), co-produced by Carl Hancock Rux and Stewart Lerman with Rob Hyman (of The Hooters), featuring experimental jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins and Brazilian percussionist Venecius Cantuera; and Good Bread Alley (Thirsty Ear Records) Produced by Carl Hancock Rux, mixed by Peter Gordon, Dave Darlington, C. H. Rux with music by C. H. Rux, Jaco van Schalkwyck, David Holmes, Vernon Reid, Leroy Jenkins and Venecius Cantuera.

He is a recipient of the Village Voice Literary Prize, Fresh Poet Award, National Endowment for the Arts/Theater Communication Group Playwright in Residence fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts Gregory Millard fellowship, NYFA Prize, Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (CalArts), Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) 10 Arts & Artists in Progress Award.

He is the subject of the Voices of America television documentary, "Carl Hancock Rux, Coming of Age", (Larry Clamage/Richard Maniscalo producers) was the recipient of the CINE Golden Eagle Award. A frequent radio essayist and guest host (XM Radio's "The Bob Edwards Show"; WNYC "Soundcheck"), Rux co-wrote and narrated the radio documentary, "Walt Whitman; Songs of Myself" (Elena Park/Curtis Fox producers), which was awarded the 2006 New York Press Club Journalism Award for Entertainment News.

As a writer and frequent guest performer in dance, his collaborators have included Marlies Yearby, the Urban Bush Women, Jane Comfort, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Rux received a BESSIE© award for his direction of the Lisa Jones/Alva Rogers dance musical, "Stained" (1994).

As an actor, Rux originated the title role in the Robert Wilson/Bernice Johnson Reagon folk opera production of "The Temptation of St. Anthony", based on the Gustave Flaubert novel written in 1874. The production debuted in Germany in June 2003 as part of the RuhrTriennale festival in Duisburg Germany and was subsequently performed throughout Europe before becoming the first all black opera to perform at the Paris Opera (Garnier). Its American premiere was at the Brooklyn Academy of Music/Next Wave Festival.

Published Works

Pagan Operetta (poetry)Autonmedia Press

Talk (play)TCG Press

Asphalt (novel)Atria/Simon & Schuster,

Everything But the Burden; What White People Are Taking from Black Culture by Greg Tate (Editor)Broadway Books/Random House

DeCapo's Best Music Writing 2004 (essays)DeCapo Press

Aloud; Voices From the Nuyorican Poets Cafe (poetry)by "Miguel Algarin", "Bob Holman" (Editors)Henry Holt

Soul's Survival; Black Power, Politics and Pleasure (essays)by Green & Guillory (Editors)NYU Press.

Korper Lust Sprache (poetry)Literatur zur Zeit Konzepte Press/ Berlin, Germany,

Action! Nuyorican Theater Festival Anthology (drama)by Miguel Algarin, Lois Griffith (Editors)Touchstone/Simon & Schuster,

Listen Up! Spoken Word Poetry (poetry)by Zoe Anglesey (Editor)World / Ballantine

Go The Way Your Blood Beats; African American fiction by Sean Stewart Ruff (Editor)Henry Holt

Open City 13by Thomas Beller (Editor),

NKA Literary Journalby Okwi Enwezor (Editor)Cornell University Press

Poetry On Stage by Danne Hughes (Editor) Poho Press

Fire & Spirit: African American Poetry by E. Ethelbert Miller (Editor) Syracuse University Press

Beyond The Frontier Black Classic Press

Heights Of The Marvelous St. Martin's Pres

Def Jam Poetry by Louis Reyes Rivera, Tony Medina (Editors) St. Martin's Press

Bum Rush The Page Three River Press

Bibliography

Total Chaos: The Art And Aesthetics of Hip-hop, Jeff Chang (Editor)Basic Civitas Books

Rhythm Science by Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid (Mediaworks Pamphlets)

In a Word : An Article from: Stage Directions by Stephen Peithman (Digital)

All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap and Hip-Hopby Vladimir Bogdanov (Editor)

To Make Our World Anew : A History of African Americansby Robin D. G. Kelley

Brave New Bass: Interviews and Lessons with the Innovators, Trendsetters and Visionariesby Chris Jisi (Editor)

A Companion To Twentieth-Century American Drama (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture)by David Krasner (Editor)

Hip: The Historyby John Leland (Ecco Press)

Black Men: In Their Own Wordsby "Susan L. Taylor" (Contributor), Patricia Mignon Hinds (Editor)

Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Manhattanby Aaron Zwas, Kristen Couse

Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90sby Robert Christgau (St. Martin’s Griffin)

Your Negro Tour Guide : Truths in Black and Whiteby "Kathy Y. Wilson"(mmis Books)

The African American Writer's Handbook: How to Get in Print and Stay in Printby Robert Fleming One World/Ballantine

Dramatists Sourcebook 2002-03 Edition: Complete Opportunities for Playwrights, Translators, Composers, Lyricists and Librettistsby Kathy Sova (Editor), (TCG Press)

The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazzby Leonard Feather, Ira Gitler (Oxford University Press)

[http://www.intheircompany.com "In Their Company: Portraits of American Playwrights"] by Victor Wishna/Ken Collins (Photography)

Trivia

As a writer of fiction has sited the influences of Julio Cortázar, Ernesto Sabato, Julio Llamazares, Gayl Jones.Wrote songs with Portishead producer Geoff Barrow for Stephanie McKay's cd, McKay.Appears on David Holmes cd, Bow Down To The Exit Sign.Sang with Boys Choir of Harlem and Hezekiah Walker's Love Fellowship gospel choir. As a teenager, studied acting with Robert Earl Jones, father of actor James. Appears as music teacher Mr. Whitman in The Bratz movie.

External links

* [http://www.carlhancockrux.com/ Official Website] [www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1975321]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUS6856D2ao&feature=related]