Arlene Gause-Jackson

Educated in Detroit, Michigan Arlene Gause-Jackson post high school, attended Michigan Paraprofessional Institute, and Marygrove College. She received her certification as a Radiological Technologist in 1981. She’s held numerous positions in various medical settings as a Staff Radiological Technologist and as a Radiology Manager. After relocating to Austin in 1983, during an automobile accident she sustained injuries that led to 5 jaw surgeries, 2 of which were reconstructive in nature. Her permanent disability made it necessary for her to change her career field.

She’s a graduate of the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Artist in Education Residency Program’s Artist Orientation Training Institute, which has enabled her to teach and share her craft with students in the classroom throughout the State of Texas. Creating and adapting a creative curriculum she’s taught student health education topics such as: sexual abstinence, drug and alcohol abstinence, the importance of getting good grades, distinguishing between love and infatuation, stopping violence, and many others.

In 1983 she submitted literary work to small press publisher Susan Bright, owner of Plain View Press. She was selected to include work in a (three author) collaborative publication entitled Make Time For This. The University of Texas’ African and Afro-American Studies Research Center endorsed the publica-tion making Make Time For This part of their Texas Sesquicentennial Book Exhibit.

Ain’t No Half Steppin’, a collection of poetry, Champions of Change-Biographies of Famous Black Americans, a work-text book for 4th through 8th Graders, and Howling Against the Wind, an adult medical suspense novel are well respected literary works of hers.

Ms. Jackson served as President of Texas Fine Literature Association, a non-profit organization from 1986 to 1990. As a twelve-year veteran of performance poetry, she’s participated in numerous state wide Texas events including, Texas Circuit’s Downtown Literature Series, Meet the Artist Public School Program, Austin Public Library’s Affirmative Action Committee Programming, International Women’s Day, Texas Mystery Writer’s Month, and the Texas Book Festival which was started by First Lady Laura Bush. She performs her poetry and prose with theatrical style, often to the musical accompaniment of blues guitarist, Streetwise.

With funding from the Austin Arts Commission and Texas Commission on the Arts she participated in an audio anthology of Austin’s (selected) poets on the taped project entitled Intimacies.

She’s the recipient of an award of Merit for her outstanding achievements in poetry from the Sigma Tau Delta National Honor Society, and the Alumnae Chapter of Austin Delta Sigma Theta Sorority honored her at its second annual “Salute to Black Authors.” She has been one of the writers featured during the Austin Writers’ Leagues’ annual Salute to African American Writers: Celebration and Tea. She’s also a recipient of the Pegasus Award from Texas Poetry in the Arts organization.

She’s completed writing her second adult novel, and is revising her third novel.

Company established in 2000.