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Austin poet Shannon Leigh Lewis has passed away after a weeks-long coma in a Florida hospital. Despite heroic efforts following a cave-diving accident on June 14th, she never regained consciousness.
Only 20 years old, Shannon Leigh was a nationally-renowned poet. An integral member of the Texas Youth Word Collective, she won the Austin Under-21 Slams in '03 and '04. Last year, at the age of 19, she was featured on HBO's Def Poetry (season six), and she placed third in Indies at the National Poetry Slam, hosted in Austin. She produced an album of her work titled Sanctuary, as well as two books; Obatala, available on Lulu, and Fuck Me Human, reportedly also available on Lulu though currently not listed. She created a webstore for Fuck Me Human clothing, "on request of several people who heard her poem of the same name" (Leigh's MySpace).
The Austinist staff extends deepest, heartfelt sympathies to Shannon's family and friends, the Austin Slam Community, and the untold numbers of people she touched with her brilliant, fearless poetry. She was a bright, beautiful light. Her passing was marked around the world with disbelief and sorrow.
A memorial service will be at St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Wednesday, July 9th at 6 p.m. Additional services, memorials, and benefits are being planned.
More: KUT: Austin Poetry Community Mourns Loss
"On laughter-silvered wings" from John Gillespie Magee Jr's High Flight.
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