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Aberjhani

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Aberjhani, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 1 December 2025
Aberjhani
Born
Jeffery J. Lloyd

(1957-07-08) July 8, 1957 (age 69)
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation(s)Historian, columnist, novelist, poet, artist, editor
Years active1994–present
Known forCo-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance; author of The River of Winged Dreams

Aberjhani (born Jeffery J. Lloyd on July 8, 1957) is an American historian, columnist, novelist, poet, artist, and editor. He is widely recognized as the co-author of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance and the author of The River of Winged Dreams. The encyclopedia received the Choice Academic Title Award in 2004.

Early life and education

Raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aberjhani completed his high school education at Savannah High School in 1975. He pursued studies in journalism, creative writing, and American community across various institutions including Savannah State College (now University), Eckerd College located in St. Petersburg, Florida, Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, Temple University in Philadelphia, and the New College of California in San Francisco. Additionally, he undertook journalism courses at Fort Benjamin Harrison School of Journalism in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Military service

Aberjhani dedicated two years to service with the U.S. Air Force stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, followed by four years in Suffolk, England, and later two years with the USAF Reserves based in Charleston, South Carolina. His training included studies in Equal Opportunity and Human Relations Counseling at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute situated at Tyndall AFB, Florida.

Literary career

The name Aberjhani was adopted during adulthood after being inspired by a dream. He maintained his writing practice throughout his tenure in the Air Force. Between 1994 and 2001, he co-edited the Savannah Literary Journal, served as a reviewer for the Georgia Council for the Arts, and held positions within the Poetry Society of Georgia. He emerged as a recognized spoken word poet and published writer. His national prominence began with ESSENCE Magazine’s 1997 cover story/essay "This Mother’s Son," which reached an audience of seven million readers. From 1999 through 2005, his poetry was regularly featured in ESSENCE, solidifying his status as a leading American poet.

Literary influences

Aberjhani has expressed that his inspirations are more aligned with broad literary movements than with individual authors. He contributed as co-editor to an encyclopedia focused on the Harlem Renaissance—a pivotal cultural movement of the twentieth century. His artistic influences also encompass Modernism, Surrealism, the Beat Generation, the Black Arts Movement, Postmodernism, and Existentialism. Among the significant writers shaping his work are James Baldwin, Albert Camus, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker.

Works as visual artist

Aberjhani made his debut as a visual artist through photographic documentation capturing Hurricane Matthew’s effects on Savannah's Historic District in 2016. A prominent photograph from this series—originally titled "Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge the Morning After Hurricane Matthew No. 2"—was featured in initiatives aimed at renaming the bridge. In 2018, he introduced the "Silk-Featherbrush Artstyle," a distinctive compositional method showcased in his book Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah as well as on the cover of Greeting Flannery O'Connor at the Back Door of My Mind.

Achievements

  • 2006: Awarded Readers Poll for Savannah’s Poet and Spoken Word Artist of the Year by Connect Savannah
  • 2007: Became a member of The Academy of American Poets
  • 2009: Entered the Red Room Hall of Fame, a digital community and marketing platform for writers
  • 2011: Honored with the "Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait" (VIP DOT) created by artist David Ilan
  • 2011: Included in "The New Black," featured in Best American Poetry
  • 2012: Joined PEN American Center, affiliated with PEN International
  • 2014: Selected to participate in LinkedIn’s "influencers" publishing platform
  • 2019: Poem “Suzannian Algorithm Finger-Painted on an Abstract Wall” appeared in the retrospective catalog for artist Suzanne Jackson at Telfair Museums' Jepson Center

Philanthropic efforts

In September 2007, Aberjhani launched the online community Creative Thinkers International to encourage peaceful conflict resolution amid escalating global tensions following 9/11. This network comprises over 500 independent artists worldwide, concentrating on topics such as Human Liberties and the influence of cultural arts on global peace. In March 2013, he endorsed the Global March for Peace and Unity. By January 2014, he had endorsed the international Charter for Compassion and authored articles addressing Boko Haram, guerrilla warfare contexts, and social media ethics for the nonprofit Voices Compassion Education Project. In 2016, Aberjhani became involved with the Span the Gap Movement, which advocates renaming the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge to confront racial issues—a subject initially discussed in his 2007 memoir The American Poet Who Went Home Again.

Historical works and memoirs

Fiction

  • Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World (novel; published in 2007 by Black Skylark Singing)
  • Songs from the Black Skylark zPed Music Player (reissued edition; released in 2019 through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing)

Collections of short stories and poetry

Aberjhani’s self-published works often draw from his childhood experiences in Savannah, encompassing both prose and poetry, issued by various small presses as well as academic publishers.

  • I Made My Boy Out of Poetry (short fiction and poetry collection; originally published in 1997, reissued in 2003 by Washington Publications/iUniverse Publishing)
  • Visions of a Skylark Dressed in Black (poetry collection; first released in 2006 by BSE-Publishing; later editions including short stories and poetry appeared in 2012, first U.S. edition by Black Skylark Singing)
  • The Bridge of Silver Wings (poetry; published in 2007 by Black Skylark Singing)
  • Elemental the Power of Illuminated Love, featuring artwork by Luther E. Vann (art and poetry collection; issued in 2008 through Telfair Museum of Art and Soar Pub)
  • The River of Winged Dreams (poetry collection; released in 2010 by Bright Skylark Literary Productions)

Online Columnist

Between July 2009 and June 2016, Aberjhani authored the National African-American Art Examiner column for Examiner.com, a platform under Digital Clarity Group, affiliated with Anschutz Company and AXS Entertainment. His writings spanned topics such as fine arts, artist profiles, current political affairs, social media developments, and elements of popular culture. Key series included explorations of Michael Jackson’s life and passing, the Georgia death-row case involving Troy Anthony Davis, Barack Obama’s time in office, and the United Nations’ designation of 2011 as the International Year for People of African Descent. His Notebook on Black History Month 2012 series highlighted influential personalities like Whitney Houston, Angela Davis, and Harry Belafonte.

Articles and Essays

  • Authors Lee Harper’s and Toni Morrison’s New Books Likely to Influence Millennials’ Dialogues on Race, Bright Skylark Literary Essay, February 2015
  • A Writer's Journey to Selma Alabama, LinkedIn Pulse Essay, January 2015
  • Let's Fix It: 7 Steps to Help Replace Legislated Fear with Informed Compassion, LinkedIn Law & Government Feature, October 2014
  • Analysis of Text and Meaning in Michael Jackson's Xscape Album Series, AXS Entertainment, June 2014
  • Gifts from Poets: Eugene B. Redmond and Coleman Barks, Networked Articles, April 2014
  • Interpretation of Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream Speech, Red Room Networked Articles, August 2013
  • Celebrating Turkey’s Enduring Connection with Jazz through World-Class Musicians, Red Room Networked Articles, May 2013
  • Reasons Behind Hip-hop Legends Like LL Cool J Sharing Positive Quotes on Twitter, Creative Spirit of the Harlem Renaissance Blog, March 2013
  • "47 Percenters and Guerrilla Decontextualization: Dreams and Nightmares," Red Room Blog Article, October 2012
  • Guerrilla Decontextualization in the Context of the 2012 Presidential Election Campaign Series, Red Room Authors & PEN American Center, July 2012
  • Poetics of Paradigm Dancing during the 2012 Presidential Election Campaign, PEN American Center, June 2012
  • Editorial on the Killing of Trayvon Martin: "Trayvon Martin, Robert Lee, and Millions of Tears Fallen"
  • Notebook on Black History Month 2012: Editorial with Poem on Whitney Houston’s Consecrated Soul, February 2012
  • Notebook on Black History Month 2012: Blog Post on The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, February 2012
  • Savannah Talks Troy Anthony Davis Article Series, Red Room Author Blog, July 2009–2011
  • "Looking at the World through Michael Jackson's Left Eye," Tribute Portrait to Michael Jackson, August 2011
  • "President Barack Obama and the Message Beyond the Photograph," Examiner Article, May 2011
  • "What Death of Osama bin Laden Indicates about Barack Obama’s Leadership," Examiner Article, May 2011
  • "Black History Month: What Would Du Bois Do Today?" AOL Black Voices Feature, February 2011
  • "As Egypt Howls and History Tweets," Examiner Article, January 2011
  • "Black History Month Enhanced by the UN’s 2011 International Year for People of African Descent," Examiner Article, January 2011
  • "Haiti and Humanity’s Fierce Urgency of Now," Examiner Article, January 2010
  • "Work and Soul in Michael Jackson's This Is It," Examiner Article, November 2009
  • "The Harlem Renaissance Way Down South," Amazon Short Story Collection Contribution, May 2007
  • "How to Spitfire in the South," Feature Article for THE SOUTH Magazine, August 2006
  • "A Legacy Less Traveled: Dr. Deborah Mack Illuminates Early African-American History in Savannah," CONNECT SAVANNAH Magazine Feature Story, May 2006
  • "Not Fading Away," Profile on WWII Veteran John Morrison in CONNECT SAVANNAH Magazine, February 2006
  • "Woman to Woman," Feature Article in CONNECT SAVANNAH Magazine, October 2005
  • "The Keepers of Their People's Spirit," Feature Article for REDBRIDGE Review Journal, October 2005
  • "The Artist Known as Pleasant," Feature Article in CONNECT SAVANNAH Magazine, August 2005
  • "This Mother’s Son," Cover Story for ESSENCE Magazine, November 1997

Editorial Roles in Selected Works

  • Savannah Literary Journal (1994–2001, Savannah Writers Workshop) ISSN 1070-6194
  • What Leaders Believe (Polk and White; 2010, Mountain State University Press) ISBN 978-0-9799836-1-0
  • Savannah, Immortal City, Vol. 1 Civil War Savannah Series (Sheehy, Wallace, and Goode-Walker; 2011, Emerald Book Company) ISBN 978-1-934572-70-2
  • Savannah: Brokers, Bankers, and Bay Lane, Vol. 2 Civil War Savannah Series (Sheehy, Wallace, and Goode-Walker; 2012, Emerald Book Company) ISBN 978-1-934572-69-6

Prominent Anthology Contributions

  • Discover Savannah CD-ROM (digital travel guide edited by Angela Lain and Laura Lawton, Crisfield Multimedia, 1996)
  • Literary Savannah (travel anthology edited by Patrick Allen, Trinity University Press; August 2011) ISBN 1595340769
  • Black Gold: An Anthology of Black Poetry (edited by Ja A. Jahannes, Turner Mayfield Publishing, 2014) ISBN 0990555119

See also

References

  • Allen, Patrick (2011). Literary Savannah. Trinity University Press. July. ISBN 978-1-59534-076-4. pp. 277–279, 281.
  • Scott, Dee (2010). "Interview with Aberjhani." Authors on the Rise, February.
  • Staff. "Savannah Author Inducted Into Red Room Hall of Fame," The Savannah Tribune, 4 November 2009, p. 3.
  • Nhojj (2008). "Singer Nhojj Interviews Aberjhani." MySpace Entertainment Profile. 13 October 2008.
  • Harris, Marlive (2008). "Grits.com Interview with Aberjhani and Luther E. Vann," Grits.com, September 2008.
  • Sickler, Linda (2008). "ELEMENTAL, At Last" review of ELEMENTAL, The Power of Illuminated Love. CONNECT SAVANNAH, 4 June cover story.
  • Weickgenant, Joel (2008). "Words and Paint," Savannah News Press, 12 Jan. Arts Magazine cover story.
  • Barfield, Randall (2007). "Interview with Aberjhani." POETRY LIFE AND TIMES eZine, July.
  • Gusby, Kim (2003). "Interview with Aberjhani." Coastal Morning Sunrise on WTOC, Savannah, GA. October 2003.

External links

Related profiles

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