In this episode, we wander into a conversation with Nandi Comer. Comer is the author of American Family: A Syndrome (Finishing Line Press) and Tapping Out (Northwestern University Press). She also serves as a poetry editor for Obsidian Literature and Arts in the African Diaspora and as the Director of the Allied Media Projects Seeds Program.

Together, we celebrate the work of Vievee Francis. Vievee Francis is a poet, award-winning author, and editor, and currently teaches English and creative writing as an Associate Professor at Dartmouth College. Of her own poetry, Francis said, "I'm very much saying that how African-American women are defined is inhuman in its narrowness and that I, for one, am not going to allow it."

We investigate the power of the persona as a tool for deep empathy, and how Francis's practice of telling stories that break the silence connects to the collective memories of the Juneteenth holiday.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The practice of persona in poetry and in community
• Creativity is a collective practice
• Anticipating contradictions within our personal and collective narratives

Resources:

• Nandi Comer
• Website: https://www.nandicomer.com/
• Referenced Works
• American Family: A Syndrome
• Tapping Out

• Vievee Francis
• About: Vievee Francis
• Referenced Works
• Forest Primeval

• Detroit References
• Hart Plaza
• The Ambassador Bridge
• Belle Isle

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