Background & Upbringing
DeAndre was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago in a middle-class family with strong ties to the local church community. His mother, an English teacher, and father, a city bus driver, instilled in him a love of books and an awareness of the city’s social dynamics.
Education
He excelled at a competitive public magnet high school, then majored in African American Studies at Northwestern University. A semester in Paris introduced him to a global perspective on art and literature, expanding his narrative voice.
Professional Background
After college, DeAndre taught creative writing workshops for urban youth, advocating for community-based storytelling. His fiction and essays often tackle contemporary Chicago life—gentrification, youth activism, and the lingering echoes of jazz and blues. He’s published two novels that garnered critical acclaim, focusing on the complexities and hopes of city living.
Places Lived
Despite short stints in Evanston (for college) and Paris, he has always returned to Chicago, which remains central to his sense of identity and artistic drive.
Influences
James Baldwin and Gwendolyn Brooks top his literary pantheon. Musically, he’s drawn to jazz pioneers like Miles Davis and the socially conscious hip-hop of Common, which he sees as parallel forms of urban poetry.
