Gayle Jones is an American author born in 1949 in Kentucky. She received a B.A. in English from Connecticut College in 1971 and M.A. and D.A. degrees from Brown University in 1973 and 1975. Her notable works include the novel Corregidora, which explores themes of sexual and racial violence through the life of its protagonist, Ursa. Despite facing abuse, Ursa begins to find love and hope. Jones' writing gives voice to the experiences of African Americans and women and examines issues like the struggles in Brazil through a modernist lens.

1. Gayle Jones Donteris Spence

2. Gayle Jones Born November 23, 1949 Born in Lexington, Kentucky to Franklin and Lucille Jones. She later married Bob Higgins. She attended: Connecticut College, New London, B.A. in English 1971 Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, M.A. 1973, D.A. 1975. Her career included: Member of the Department of English, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1975-83. Author Her awards: Award for best original production in the New England region, American College Theatre Festival, 1973, for Chile Woman; grants from Shubert Foundation, 1973-74, Southern Fellowship Foundation, 1973-75, and Rhode Island Council on the Arts, 1974-75; fellowships from Yaddo, 1974, National Endowment of the Arts, 1976, and Michigan Society of Fellows, 1977-79; Howard Foundation award, 1975; Fiction Award from Mademoiselle, 1975; Henry Russell Award, University of Michigan, 1981; National Book Award nomination, 1998, for The Healing.

3. Writing Style Gayle believes that her mother's aspiration to be a writer is to credit for her chosen career path. The writings that came after she got married are happier and they seem to be about healing the mind, body and soul. What she wrote about: Sexual Violence Racial Violence Poetry Perceived as Feminine over Racism First Person Novels Short Stories Plays Poetry Nonsequential order

4. Her Voice Gayle can be considered a voice to African Americans/ Americans because she relates to her audience. She writes about the thing that Americans and African Americans went through and how they reacted to the things that happened to them. I believe she'd be the voice to the women because she wrote from a first person, woman's perspective.

5. Modernism She has a world wide view of events taking place in other countries. For example, her novel " Corregidora ", she writes about the struggle in Brazil.

6. She is a Product She takes the concept of blues (a movement or Era that is before her time) and puts her own twist on things. For example, blues is not about just men or women yet Gayle makes blues about men's abuse toward women.

7. How has Gayle's work been Impacted The things that have happened in history have given her something to write about. They have formed an outline that she uses to write her poetry and novels.

8. Summary In her best known novel, Corregidora, you see the abuse and violence that she tends to portray in her writings. Ursa is grabbed, shaken, and abused by her husband because she continued singing at a night club after they were married. She had to get stitches and could no longer have kids. Despite all that happened she begins to find love and hope in someone else.

9. Works Cited http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0807063150/thekintespacec00A/#reader_0807063150 http://kintespace.com/rasxlog/?p=23 http://biography.jrank.org/pages/4475/Jones-Gayl.html