This Is What America Looks Like Pub Date: 2/1/2021
A Different Kind of Writing Project
Recently I had the opportunity to collaborate on writing the words for a historical marker honoring the site of an African-American high school my great-grandfather William James helped to start and lead in Statesboro, Georgia in the early 1900s. Some thoughts and reflections on that experience. As an English major in college, I was required […] Toni Morrison, 1931 – 2019
Toni Morrison passed today. As the accolades and memories pour in, I am remembering tackling “Song of Solomon” freshman year and invoking her in one of my 2016 readings for “Strivers and Other Stories.” Some notes from that reading: Thanks for coming and giving me a bit of your weekend time. Your support is definitely […] “Cotton Compress” Published in Callaloo 40.2
My story “Cotton Compress” was published in the Callaloo Journal’s latest issue, #40.2. Many thanks to Ravi Howard–who led a great workshop I participated in at Callaloo’s 2016 Oxford creative writing workshop session– for recommending my submission. Also many thanks to Melanie Hatter, who provided key edits to the story and made it much, much better and […] Tin House Summer Workshop
Coming back from another spirited, challenging and enlightening workshop week, this time the notable Tin House Summer Workshop held at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. I participated in one of the novel workshops led by the gracious and energetic (and fellow native Georgian!) Tayari Jones. In the midst of her book tour for “An America […] Aspen Words; Words in Aspen
In the wake of celebrating the life of my father, the Aspen Words writing workshop in Aspen, Colorado provided a breezy clean-air escape—again—into the “serious” literary world: Manhattan agents and editors. MFA grads. Tea drinkers. Brows that furrow at the mere mention of a certain current White House occupant. And us “emerging” writers gasping at humble-bragged mentions of […] “This is America” — Podcasting… Just for Fun
A casual chat in the studio with some old friends at “We R Sumthin Else.” Talking about Donald Glover, #AtlantaFX, Kanye, growing up in the South, America, white supremacy, living your best life– and oh, yeah, a bit about “Strivers and Other Stories” too. Check it out. (And all their other episodes too). Thanks PEN/Faulkner and Eastern High School for The Writers in Schools Invite
Many thanks to PEN/Faulkner’s Writers in Schools Director Gregory Langen and Eastern High School librarian Ellen Dodsworth for the invite to present and discuss “Strivers and Other Stories” with the students at Eastern High School on my first Writers in School program visit last week. I enjoyed the attentive eyes and heartfelt questions about my stories, […] 