Join the Book Bar for a discussion of afrofuturism and black superheroes with the editors of The Future of Black, moderated by Suzi Q. Smith. This collection is wide ranging and groundbreaking, including odes to iconic black superheros like Luke Cage and Black Panther, reckonings with erasure, and afrofuturist visions of apocalypse and rapture.
Join the webinar here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1N2b9ctoRXyZ3fOHh0U1wA
Eventbrite link: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-future-of-black-editors-panel-tickets-269189411777
The Future of Black: Afrofuturism, Black Comics, and Superhero Poetry is an anthology of poems and art exploring Afrofuturism, science fiction, and speculative fiction by Black writers and writers of color. Edited by poets Cynthia Manick, Len Lawson, and Gary Jackson, the anthology includes poetry from masters of the genre such as Lucille Clifton, Terrance Hayes, and Gil Scott-Heron and works from prominent artists such as John Jennings and Najee Dorsey.
“The Future of Black is a marvel. Some of the best Black voices out there deconstructing subjects we've all come to know intimately. But not like this. Superheroes and superheroism, pop-culture and genre media are transmuted into poetry that is sharp and staggering. Pick this book up and savor it. You won't regret it.”
—Cadwell Turnbull, No Gods, No Monsters and The Lesson
About the Panelists: Len Lawson is the author of Chime (2019), the chapbook Before the Night Wakes You (2017), and co-editor of Hand in Hand: Poets Respond to Race (2017). He has received fellowships from Tin House, Callaloo, Vermont Studio Center, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. His website is www.lenlawson.co.
Gary Jackson is the author of the poetry collection Missing You, Metropolis (2010), which received the 2009 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in numerous literary journals including Callaloo, Tin House, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Crab Orchard Review.
Cynthia Manick is the author of Blue Hallelujahs, which won the 2016 Lascaux Prize in Collected Poetry, and editor of Soul Sister Revue: A Poetry Compilation (2019). She has received fellowships from Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, and MacDowell Colony. Her website is www.cynthiamanick.com.
About the Moderator: Suzi Q. Smith is an award-winning artist, organizer, and educator who lives in Denver, Colorado. She has created, curated, coached, and taught in Denver for over 20 years, managing the largest poetry festivals that Denver has seen to date. The author of poetry collections Poems for the End of the World, A Gospel of Bones, and Thirteen Descansos, Suzi is also a singer-songwriter, playwright, and multi-disciplinary creative. Her single 'Moments', in collaboration with Psy'Aviah, received International attention after being a finalist in the BBC's 'Next Big Thing' contest and she co-wrote and is featured on Flobots’ 2017 single, Sleeping Giant. She was also a member Lady Wu-Tang Clan, sharing stages with Raekwon and Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan. Suzi co-wrote the plays How I Got Over: Journeys in Verse, and Where We Are From: Freedom is a Constant Struggle.
As an organizer, Suzi has worked with arts and cultural organizations for over 20 years, in Denver and around the U.S. Her commitment to intersectional racial justice, creating safe(r) spaces for all marginalized peoples, and creating communities of care as well as policies and practices for transformative justice and equity are all key initiatives. As an educator, she has worked extensively with youth, serving as a Teaching Artist with Youth On Record, and as a coach of Denver Minor Disturbance Youth Poetry Slam, resulting in two international championships. Further, she is Affiliate Faculty with Regis University’s Mile High MFA, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, and DU’s Prison Arts Initiative.
Event date: March 10
6pm MT/8pm EST
Cocktail created by the Denver Book Bar