Jeff Callaway: Difference between revisions

Texas Outlaw Poet is the performing name of spoken word artist Jeff Callaway. He became known as such within the poetry and open mic circles around the Austin, Texas area in April of 2005, when it was discovered by the community that he had been a fugitive from the law for the previous months in which he had made a name for himself as one of the new up and coming poets of the area. The cause of his arrest in San Angelo in April of 2005 stemmed from a previous charge of Possession of Cocaine which took place September 12, 2013, the day that Johnny Cash passed away. He had been picked up in a bar in his hometown of Athens, Texas and was found to have both cocaine and methamphetamines as well as drug paraphernalia on his person by local authorities, while currently on parole for his original felony of Possession of Psilocybin in April of 2000. While being on trial for the possession charges he fled the area to hideout in Austin and perform at various venues all over the city. When he was later picked up by police in San Angelo on his way to Forrest Fest, an annual poetry festival in West Texas, the Austin poetry community caught wind of the news and the "Texas Outlaw Poet" was born. Texas Outlaw Press was then formed by Jeff Callaway and John-Paxton Gremillion to publish chapbooks for readings for both while Jeff was in and when he got out of the Penitentiary system in mid 2006. He wrote and published 5 books while locked up. Many events were also held in the Austin area in support of the Texas Outlaw Poet while he was in prison to help raise money for legalization and prison reform issues. Upon his release, a sold out headline gig at the Ruta Maya Poetry Open Mic was held to commemorate his new found freedom. Jeff Callaway still performs in the area to this day. -John-Paxton Gremillion, (Co-Founder)