“My arm was wrapped and in a sling. When the wagon driver had asked, my mother told him I had broken it and she was taking me to an obeah man. I was ashamed that she had been made to sin, to tell a lie because of me. Even in my mind I could not forget how my elbow was hurting me in a funny way that wasn’t about pain. Even alone on the sick I was too afraid to touch it, to give that arm the healing power of the other one. I was afraid to touch places on me that weren’t even private. And I was going to die for it. Die for having those places. My mother held my hand, then left” ⭐️⭐️
I found so much brilliance, beauty, intimacy and connection within the reading circles I led this year and last, first with our Audre Lorde/Your Silence Will Not Protect You circle (2018) & then again with Black Feminist Praxis(2019). The writing, analysis and discussions that have sprung forth has been stellar, so I’ve decided to keep the vibes going with a new 6 month series, 🙌🏿🙌🏿
I’m launching something new in 2020 called - My Dark & Twisted Fantasy - in this one we will focus on themes of darkness, shadows, death, ancestry, witchcraft, magic and madness - all within the writing of Black women and Black non binary folks specifically.
We are reading short stories, essays and novels by Octavia Butler, Gayl Jones, Nalo Hopkinson, Akwaeke Emezi and Dorothy Roberts, for our very first session wine are focusing on stories within Tiphanie Yanique’s incredibly gorgeous and haunting collection - HOW TO ESCAPE FROM A LEPER COLONY. We will meet virtually once a month from January to June, sessions include writing prompts, rituals, and detailed discussion on each text as it relates to Black bodies and Black womanhood, all are welcome to access these sessions, via Patreon by pledging $2 or more dollars a month.
(Part of this is about reframing and reclaiming fears, sadness, monsters, so some text may be triggering!!)
We will also discuss some elements of these same themes in Black women’s music, art and film. Looking forward to it!! ⭐️🖤⭐️
