Shauna Barbosa (born ca. 1988) is the author of the poetry collection Cape Verdean Blues (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2018). She was a finalist for PEN America's 2019 Open Book Award and was a 2018 Disquiet International Luso-American fellow.

Early life Barbosa was born to an African-American mother and Cape Verdean father, and grew up in Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents met working at Polaroid. She has four siblings.

At age 15, she worked at the Funky Fresh music store in Boston, which fostered her love of music and mixtapes. In high school, she reviewed albums for her school paper. Later, she worked as an intern at Vibe.

Life and work Barbosa received her MFA from Bennington College in Vermont and currently resides in Los Angeles, California where she teaches Creative Writing in the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The New Yorker, Ploughshares, AGNI, Iowa Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Boulevard, Poetry Society of America, PBS NewsHour, Lit Hub, Lenny Letter, and others.

She cites the writers Camonghne Felix, Lucille Clifton, Ariana Reines, Patricia Smith, Dean Young, Anne Sexton, Michael Ondaatje, Jorge Barbosa, and Corsino Fortes as inspiration, as well as the lyrics of Juvenile, Nas, Frank Ocean, Amy Winehouse and Andre 3000.

Cape Verdean Blues Barbosa's poetry collection Cape Verdean Blues was published in 2018. In their review, Publishers Weekly said, "In her strong debut, Barbosa delves into how the nuances of identity are formed through intersecting struggles. She characterizes identity as mutable, flexible, and a means to keep the memories that shape a person. Writing of her Cape Verdean upbringing in Boston, Barbosa investigates what it means to be a woman of color and a cultural other."

Kendrick Lamar praised the book, saying, "These words feel like experiences. Some are personal, most are enlightening, but all connect. Connect on a higher level. A spiritual level."

Lit Hub named it one of their favorite books of 2018.

The book is named after the jazz musician Horace Silver's 1966 album The Cape Verdean Blues.

Five poems translated into French were published in Europe in April 2020 ("Broke", "Deniz", "Strology Virgo", "Something African with a K", "And I Know That She Feels Beautiful - Do We Have Cancer").

Bibliography

Poetry Collections

List of poems TitleYearFirst publishedReprinted/collectedWhat is a diagnosis to a demon2020 And I Know That She Feels Beautiful"And I Know That She Feels Beautiful". The Bad Penny Review33"33". The Bad Penny ReviewGPS"GPS". The Bad Penny ReviewSimone"Simone". Sundog LitDeniz2014"Deniz". PANK. 9.6. June 2014Your Eyes Blink Five-Minute Miles"Your Eyes Blink Five-Minute Miles". The Minnesota Reviewre the dentist and his new family2015"re the dentist and his new family". The Awl. April 30, 2015Big Sun Coming Strong Through the Motel Blinds2016"Big Sun Coming Strong Through the Motel Blinds". No Tokens Journal. August 30, 2016Tone's Posture"Tone's Posture". Some Mark MadeFlush Past the Ferry"Flush Past the Ferry". Some Mark MadeSelf on the First Date"Self on the First Date". The Atlas ReviewCity of Notions: An Anthology of Contemporary Boston PoetsWhen I Say I Want a Baby2016"When I Say I Want a Baby". The Colorado ReviewLet"Let". Boulevard Magazinefeatured in the Mass Poetry Raining Poetry Project as well as displayed at Boston City Hall as part of the Mayor's Office of Arts + Culture Initiative (2016-2017)Broke"Broke". Boulevard MagazineSomething African With a K"Something African With a K". RHINO PoetryLiberation2017"Liberation". Virginia Quarterly Review. Summer 2017Poetry Daily in 2018Strology Taurus2017"Strology Taurus". Lenny Letter. December 26, 2017Cape Verdean BluesStrology Scorpio2017"Strology Scorpio". Lenny Letter. December 26, 2017Cape Verdean BluesEvery Year Trying to Get My Body Right2017"Every Year Trying to Get My Body Right". Lenny Letter. December 26, 2017Cape Verdean BluesStrology Aries"Strology Aries". FoundryCape Verdean BluesTo the Brothers of Cesária Évora2018"To the Brothers of Cesária Évora". Lit Hub. March 12, 2018Cape Verdean BluesThis Won't Make Sense in English lénsu-marra2018"This Won’t Make Sense in English lénsu-marra" Lit Hub. March 12, 2018Cape Verdean BluesStrology Gemini2018"Strology Gemini". Lit Hub. March 12, 2018Cape Verdean BluesSmall Town & Terrifying2018"Small Town & Terrifying". Lit Hub. March 12, 2018Cape Verdean BluesThe Genetics of Leaving2018"The Genetics of Leaving". PBS. March 12, 2018Cape Verdean BluesStrology Virgo"Strology Virgo". WILDNESSCape Verdean BluesStrology Capricorn"Strology Capricorn". WILDNESSCape Verdean BluesYou Will, Indeed, Always Be the Same Person After Vacation"You Will, Indeed, Always Be the Same Person After Vacation". Tupelo QuarterlyTaking Over for the '99 and the 2000"Taking Over for the '99 and the 2000". Poetry Society of AmericaDancing Makes Me Desperate"Dancing Makes Me Desperate". The Southeast ReviewNot Crazy Just Afraid to Ask2019"Not Crazy Just Afraid to Ask". Iowa Review. April 15, 2019Blossom2019"Blossom". Iowa Review. April 15, 2019WhatsApp Message Analysis and Response"WhatsApp Message Analysis and Response". AGNIThe Internet"The Internet". PloughsharesAloe"Aloe". RedividerI Look at Everyone Like This"I Look at Everyone Like This". RedividerIt's Raining in LA What Else I'm Pose to Do"It's Raining in LA What Else I'm Pose to Do". THE COMMON

References