Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Award Arrives!

     Today was the first day that my "Womanhood in Black & White" class discussed a novel that I love, Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones.  However, I did not feel that I was on top of my game.  I did not feel that I led discussion in a way that did the book justice, despite how well this novel fits into the conceptual frameworks on which the course is based.  Because I am a bit too good at beating myself up about such things, I was not in the best of moods when I got home.  Well, SSAWW to the rescue!  This is what was waiting on me!

Because I could not attend the conference in Denver, Vice President Kristin Jacobson mailed my award.  Being the creative organization that it is, SSAWW opted not to give certificates.  I received an engraved business card holder.  As you can see, I am tired but elated!  A nice boost!  Next class, I'll be back on my A game!



My photography skills don't do it justice.  Rest assured, though, I will have a new joy whenever someone asks me for my business card!


Many, many thanks to the entire leadership team that has kept SSAWW strong in recent years, but especially to those with whom I have had the most contact: President Deborah Clarke and vice presidents Sarah Robbins, Kristin Jacobson, and Donna Campbell and to the members of the 2012 book award selection committee:  Elizabeth Duquette, Julia C. Ehrhardt, and Gregory Eiselein.

For more information about the Society for the Study of American Women Writers (SSAWW), including how to become a member, click HERE.

Another Book Award!!!

I am especially humbled to receive this recognition from the Society for the Study of American Women Writers (SSAWW) because it was the first organization that took lynching plays seriously.  I am pleased that these literary scholars see the book's contribution to the same degree that the theatre scholars of ATDS did.  What an amazing way to celebrate that my baby turned one year old this month!  The playwrights are taking their rightful place!!!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Black LIT Radio, Segment #1


As promised, you can listen to the radio segment online and on-demand.  I expect that these will get better and better.  Listen to segment #1 on Nella Larsen's Passing (1929) by going HERE and please let me know what you think!

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Black LIT Radio debuts!



This Monday (10/8/2012), KAZI Book Review with Hopeton Hay debuts Black LIT Radio, a 10-minute segment on African American literature. The show airs at 7 AM Central, 8 AM Eastern on Austin's KAZI-FM 88.7. Those outside of Austin can listen live online at kazifm.org (click the microphone on left side of page) or through the TuneIn Radio app on iPhone or Droid phones. An iTunes podcast will be available shortly thereafter, which I'll share. 

The first segment is about Nella Larsen's 1929 novel Passing.

Yay! It's happening! If you listen at some point, let me know what you think!

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Ford Foundation Fellows celebration


Writing Living with Lynching in a way that made me proud would not have been possible without support from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Ford Foundation.  Being a Ford Foundation fellow has especially changed my life (as I say in the acknowledgments section of the book).  This amazing program just celebrated 50 years of awarding fellowships, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr gave the keynote at the celebration.  Nice memento! 9/20/2012