Research Discipline/Bio
Vernon Keeve III credits his former students at a school for expelled and school-avoidant youth not only with showing him how to teach, but also with showing him how to show up as a better human being. He went to great lengths to engage his former students because he knew that if he provided them with the necessary academic skills and confidence, they could free themselves from the school-to-prison nexus.
His research aims to answer the question of what should be done when the education system has harmed students. What do affective reparations in the education system look like? How do we address stolen possibilities?
Vernon’s research has taken him on a journey through post-colonial and post-humanist theory, critical race theory, hauntology, PIC (prison-industrial complex) abolition, and affect theory, with the hope of reimagining a world where everyone feels more comfortable being their true and vulnerable selves.
Educational Background
Masters of Arts in Teaching, English Education, Bard College, 2014
Masters of Fine Arts, Writing, California College of the Arts 2013
Bachelors of Arts, English (Creative Writing), George Mason University, 2011
Bachelors of Arts, Religious Studies, George Mason University, 2011
Honors/Awards
Zora Neale Hurston Award, Naropa University, 2012
All-College Honors Award, California College of the Arts, 2013
Community Engaged Practice Award, California College of the Arts, 2016
100 Artists Putting the East Bay on the Map, San Francisco Magazine 2018
PEN Oakland, Josephine Miles Award, 2019
Publications/Exhibitions
Keeve, V. (2018). Southern Migrant Mixtape. Black Lawrence Press/Nomadic Press
Keeve III, V. T. (2023). Poetry: Redux. English Journal, 112(4), 79-79.
Keeve III, V. T. (2023). Poetry: The Universe of Disconnect. English Journal, 112(4), 88-88.
Last Updated: Jul 2, 2025