MY BIO:
M. Tonita Austin, known as Toni Love, is a talented poet and writer born in West Philadelphia. Tonita studied writing and playwriting under Amiri Baraka at Columbia University and regularly contributed to Columbia’s Black Heights Literary Magazine. Her essay, entitled “The Joy in the Journey,” about her mother, was published in The Black Body (Seven Stories Press) in 2009. Her poetry has appeared in numerous anthologies, including several issues of Philadelphia Art and Urban Literary Review (P.A.U.L.).
Tonita self-published her poetry book, Toni’s Room: A Poetic Journey to Restoration (Toni Love Publishing) in 2019, selling nearly 500 copies. She was recently selected as the Mad Poet of the Year (2024-2025) by Mad Poets of PA and featured in both the Sonia Sanchez tribute film Full Moon of Sonia, and the Rotunda 40th Anniversary documentary. Her short story “The Love Cuff” was selected for the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses Reading List for Black History Month 2026.
Tonita is a fierce youth advocate and community organizer currently living in Media, PA, currently working on her memoir and a collection of short stories. . The Restoration is her first poetry CD and Toni’s Room; a poetic journey to restoration is her first self published book. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her greatest creations, James and Janai.
Peace and Blessings!
Toni
Toni's Room 