Elm City LIT Fest

Kenji Jasper and Christopher Chambers will discuss their books and the genre of Black Noir with Lisa Gray and Elm City LIT Fest Team: Ife, Emalie and Shamaine

Episode Guest Info:

Guest 1:    Kenji Jasper is an author, journalist and screenwriter whose work has appeared in Essence, Ebony, VIBE and on National Public Radio.  His first novel, Dark, was a Washington Post bestseller and he has earned praise for his books, Cake, The House on Childress Street and his co-editing of the anthology, Beats, Rhymes and Life: What We Love and Hate About Hip-Hop. He’s been featured in the collections Brooklyn Noir, DC Noir, Atlanta Noir and The Speed Chronicles from Akashic Books. His next novel, Nostrand Avenue, the first part of trilogy, was published by Kensington Books in the Summer of 2018.

Guest 2:   Christopher Chambers is a Washington, D.C. native and a Professor of Media Studies at Georgetown University. He’s written the award-winning bestselling Angela Bivens novels from Random House Sympathy for the Devil and A Prayer for Deliverance; his short story “Leviathan” was nominated for a PEN/Malamud Award for short fiction. He co-edited the popular The Darker Mask with author Gary Phillips published by MacMillan and featuring writers Walter Mosely, Lorenzo Carcaterra, Mat Johnson, Naomi Hirahara, Victor Lavelle, and award-winning artists like Shawn Martinbrough. He is the author of pulp novel Rocket Crockett and the Shanghai She Devil, and a contributor to Black Pulp .He is a contributor to the bestselling and Anthony Award-winning political/pulp/speculative fiction anthology The Obama Inheritance, published by Three Rooms Press, and the upcoming Black Panther, Tales of Wakanda, by Marvel. His “new-noir” crime novel Scavenger has been starred by Publisher’s Weekly as “groundbreaking” and “No holds barred.”  

Guest 3:    Lisa D. Gray opens doors and helps other writers of color claim space in writing and publishing by curating several reading series in the Bay Area. She curated two seasons of The Bloom for 14 Black Poppies Arts Collective, which provided more than 50 writers of color with an outlet to share their work. Lisa has interviewed authors Devi Laskar, Jodi Picoult, Natalie Baszile, Renee Swindle,  Elmaz Abinader, Jacqueline Luckett and Faith Adiele in conversations that tackled topics around craft, inspiration, and writing practice. Lisa won the 2018 Edgar Award named for Robert L. Fish and the Henry Joseph Jackson Prize for Distinguished Fiction in 2014. She was a Fellow at the San Francisco Writers Grotto where she is now a member, and has earned writing scholarships to attend The Fine Arts Works Center, The Voices of Our Nations Foundation, and the Vermont Studio Center where she completed a residency. She is currently a fellow at The Ruby San Francisco and holds degrees in English and Creative Writing from Spelman College and Mills College. 
She is a writer and leader who believes that it is necessary for black women and women of color to write and share our stories so that others do not erase or control our narratives. She is completing her first novel, Stolen Summer and is in search of an agent and publisher for her collection of short stories that focuses on black children coming of age from the 1950’s to present day.

Conversation with Steve and Mildred Sapp the Poet/Performer/Creators of Universes Theater Company in Residence at Oregon Shakespeare Company.

Kem Joy Okwu will discuss her inspiration for the inspirational stories she shares.

Tarell will share how his hometown of Miami, his time as a Yale School of Drama student learning under the wing of August Wilson/current role as a department chair at Yale School of Drama, and the racial trauma of COVID + national attention on the safety of Black lives inform his storytelling.

Discussion with Valerie Williams – Sanchez about her study on “How Reading Builds Empathy” and her Children’s Book series.

Discussion with Dr. John about starting LaurenSimone Publishing along with readings from 3 Authors represented by her company.

Lauren Simone Publishing House is a black-owned, mother and daughter,
publishing service. The mission of Lauren Simone Publishing House is to publish the works of diverse authors and illustrators. Lauren Simone Publishing House is invested in engaging children in stories written by nontraditional authors; expanding the diversity of groups not often represented in literary
works; educating and improving children's understanding of their academic and
social experiences and empowering young authors and illustrators by giving them a platform to highlight their artistic skills and build their portfolio, esteem, and marketability. 

Our goals are: 
1. To connect diverse authors and illustrators to create black, brown, and multicultural, diverse, and inclusive children's books for all to enjoy.  
2. To provide awareness and access to black,
brown, and diverse books, toys, games, and accessories. 
3. To collaborate with book clubs, schools, libraries, art galleries, museums, and science centers to host fun and educational activities, events, and programs.

Join the team planning the Elm City LIT Festival as they discuss the plans, the inspiration and the expectations from this first year of the festival.

Discussion about connecting, maintaining, cultivating and promoting Black Arts Culture in dis-Connecticut.

Today's guests is:
Juanita - Creative Artist /Founder Cultured AF (As Fuck) New London, CT

Cultured AF is a social hub and creative platform. We are artists & creatives producing content, building community, and curating unique experiences that bridge the gap between the art world and black culture.

https://www.culturedaf.life/

Mosaic Literary Conference Director Ron Cavanaugh and New Haven Free Public Library Manager (Mitchell Branch) Marion Huggins will discuss the importance of promoting literature from the African Diaspora

Sun Queen is a poet, an artist, and an inspirational messenger. On a daily basis you can find Sun on social media and in real life being nothing but pure and true to her authentic self. Sun Queen is currently in the process of writing and self-publishing a book of poetry. Many have described her work as “beautifully capturing with divine insight.” Through her passion and love for advocacy and guidance, she plans to help others be able to share their stories.

Sun is one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter New Haven established in 2015. BLM New Haven’s mission is to demonstrate integrity through educating individuals of all ages, while helping increase their knowledge on Laws as well as their individual rights.

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Dyme Ellis ( https://www.facebook.com/DemigoddessGhaya ) is a Queer Black New Haven-based organizer and artist emerging into a career as an administrator, curator, and founder. A poet, visual artist, and producer of experimental music, Dyme intentionally grounds their work in their wellbeing and re-education of marginalized groups, centering BIPOC LGBTQ- spectrum. Currently Dyme is migrating poetry from the page/stage to walls and windows, harmonizing the powers of spoken word and graffiti, thus reclaiming and declaring safe space for queer, trans, people of color in New Haven.

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Tymani Rain ( https://www.facebook.com/Nala143 ) is a 23 year old all around performing artist. At 7 years old she started off playing violin, and taking African dance classes along with jazz, tap, and ballet. She did creative writing her whole life, but found her passion age 13 during her first open mic performance at the NuyoRican. Since then she has taken on the world with her lyrics. She hosts an open mic called Grown & Sexy Poetry in CT and has performed at The Black Lady Theater, Poetz Realm, Kuumba Kickback, Love Jones and many various open mics and showcases. She just hopes to enlighten and inspire with her art.