Jason Harris (’15) on Afrofuturism, African Diaspora, Music, etc.
From Black Speculative Arts Digital Archive 1. What was the inspiration for the creation of “MotherShip: MotherVerse”? “MotherShip:MotherVerse” was conceived as part of a public Afrofuturism exhibit entitled “The MotherShip Connection.” Poet, Community Builder and Afrofuturist Olu Butterfly conceived this idea and asked me to be one of her collaborators. This was an opportunity for us to mount an […]
Amina Gautier (’13) Celebrates Libraries and Sandburg Award Win
This is a very special evening and a very special award for me, partly because, like all of you, I love libraries and I believe in them and the work that they do. In giving my thanks today, I’d like to talk about the roles libraries have played in my life. I was born in […]
Happy Halloween from Dianca London Potts (’14)
Hallowed Hell House How I left behind a Christian childhood to adore Halloween. From the Lenny Letter The year was 1989, and I was a jack-o’-lantern. Wearing the costume equivalent of footed pajamas and a hat with a stem and felt leaves, I gripped my dad’s hand as we walked down the carpeted hallways of […]
Rion Amilcar Scott (’13) on the Recurring Characters of Edward P. Jones
When a Character Returns Edward P. Jones connected recurring characters through his short stories, providing a blueprint for one writer. From Catapult Woodrow and Rita Cunningham’s fifteen-year-old daughter Elaine left home after arguing with her father about the boys she entertained in the house while her parents were away. I turned the pages of “A […]
Kima Jones (’14) Discusses Publicity with NPR Code Switch
Kima Jones, who owns the publicity company Jack Jones Literary Arts, says, “There needs to be more women of color in publishing, in positions of power, period. As I see other book clubs and speaking series, reading series, organizations pop up that are dedicated to writers of color, queer writers, disabled writers, other marginalized writers, […]
