Book Signing in Los Angeles!

There has actually been quite a lot going on with the book. I therefore regret not regularly updating here. I definitely don't want to neglect the following exciting update, so I'm putting it everywhere I can think of and hope you'll share.

On Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 3 PM, I will be at the one and only Eso Won Books in Los Angeles, California. This bookstore is a national treasure! See the event page for more information.

The day before the book signing (Saturday, November 8 at 1pm), I will be a guest on the Liberated Sisters radio show, which airs on KPFK-90.7 FM.
 
Also, please know that I have launched a new website that will always have the most comprehensive information on what I am doing.  korithamitchell.com

Essay on Lynching & Anti-LGBT Violence is Recommended Reading

Wow! This is a real honor for me. Yoruba Richen, the award-winning director of the film The New Black thought enough of my essay "Love in Action" to recommend it as a supplement to her TED talk on Civil Rights/LGBT rights. The other listed works are nothing short of seminal. It means a lot to me that she would suggest that my work on violence and LGBT communities should be considered in this company:  http://bit.ly/1u2UQiN

Library of Congress Lecture Re-airing

 

If you're interested—or know someone who might be—Book TV is airing my Library of Congress lecture again. It'll be in the wee hours of the morning: Monday, May 19 at 2AM Eastern time. DVR, baby! 

Details at http://cs.pn/1jnPZck

Affirmative Action Commentary mentioned on The Ed Show

I am late seeing this, but I very much appreciate that Michael Eric Dyson thought enough of my Huffington Post piece on affirmative action to refer to it on The Ed Show. He makes an important link because "extreme" white supremacist views are not so different from the denial of white privilege that made the Supreme Court's recent decision about Michigan's Proposal 2 possible. Here is the clip: http://on.msnbc.com/1mSNTCY

Commentary on Supreme Court Decision

While I was giving my lecture at Bexley Public Library last night, the ideas that had preoccupied me throughout the day went live on the Huffington Post blogs. I will post about the book lecture later. In the meantime, we must change the terms of the conversation about affirmative action! I hope this piece helps people do so with more confidence.

"Supreme Court Agrees with Michigan Voters: Affirmative Action Must Remain for Whites Only"

Especially if it resonates, I hope you'll consider sharing widely.

Upcoming Lecture at Bexley Public Library

Some have said that I seem to give lectures anywhere but in Columbus, Ohio. Well, I expect this will be my last "Living with Lynching" lecture of 2014. Hope to see you there! Please spread the word!

Library of Congress Lecture Available for On-Demand Viewing

Turns out, setting your DVR for the airing of my Library of Congress lecture didn't quite work because they started earlier than the advertised time of 11PM Eastern. Thankfully, C-Span 2's BookTV immediately made the complete video available for on-demand viewing online. Feel free to let me know what you think and/or if you have questions.  http://cs.pn/1fe0hYH

Library of Congress lecture to air on BookTV

My Library of Congress lecture will air on C-Span 2's BookTV on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 11PM Eastern/10PM Central. Details on BookTV's site.

Please join me in setting the DVR! I'd love to know what you think.

Certificate of Congressional Recognition

On Friday, March 14, 2014, I gave an invited lecture at the Library of Congress. Thanks to coordinated efforts by the University of Illinois Press (which published Living with Lynching) and the staff at the Library of Congress, C-Span's Book TV recorded the lecture and will air it soon. I also hope to receive quality photographs soon because I noticed at least one professional photographer. 

In the meantime, I'm delighted to share this memento. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee made the time to stop by before catching a plane to get home to Houston (where I grew up). She presented me with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition. I was literally speechless when she walked in, and I remain honored that she made the time to do this in person. It reads: 

Certificate of Congressional Recognition
Presented to
Dr. Koritha Mitchell
Recognition of Achievement

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, on behalf of the constituents of the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas, I take great pride in congratulating you for your outstanding book Living with Lynching: African American Lynching Plays, Performance, and Citizenship, and wish you much success during your lecture and book signing. You deserve the respect, admiration and commendation of the United States Congress.

Dr. Sibyl Moses, a remarkable librarian and scholar, found my work while doing some research and extended the invitation to speak at the Library of Congress. She then made sure that every element of the visit went well. We were both pleasantly surprised by the Congresswoman's appearance. What a way to end the day!
 

On Friday, March 7, 2014, I was a guest on Greg Rasheed's Soul Seekers "The Root and Roots" program on Blogtalk Radio. It was a lively conversation in anticipation of my lecture at the Library of Congress on Friday, March 14, 2014.

You can listen HERE!

Speaking at the Library of Congress!!!

I have been invited to lecture at the Library of Congress!!! Please spread the word widely! The lecture is at noon on Friday, March 14, when many colleges and universities in the area are on Spring Break. However, part of the joy of being invited to speak at the Library of Congress is reaching people not affiliated with a university, so please share widely. Downloading the flyer from here shouldn't be a problem, but feel free to email me for the original file at mitchell.717@osu.edu

Specifics on location: Library of Congress, Mary Pickford Theater, 3rd floor of the James Madison Building, which is at the corner of 1st Street and Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C., 20540

Also, here is the LOC's press release. 
 

Monday, March 3 at 6PM Eastern. JOIN US online!!

 
TODAY!!! 6pm Eastern. The kick-off event for the #SheDocs online film festival. American Masters | PBS and Women and Girls Lead present a special online screening of ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH. The filmmaker, Pratibha Parmar, and I will be online to interact with those watching along. Please spread the word!!! Anyone can join in live via http://bit.ly/1pGoRWh

Radio Discussion: "Racial Tensions on Campus"

On Friday, February 28, 2014, I joined a conversation on Warren Olney's fast-paced radio show To the Point. The discussion centered on "Racial Tensions on Campus," and I tried to work against the tendency to let whiteness go unmarked.  

Read more and listen online HERE.

Lecture at Kenyon College

On Thursday, February 27, 2014, I visited Kenyon College, giving both a public lecture and a faculty workshop on publishing.  A few years ago, months before Living with Lynching was published, Professor Ivonne Garcia invited me to speak at Kenyon. I found the intellectual community quite invigorating. The questions I received from not only faculty but also students made the impact of undergraduate research clear. This visit only confirmed those impressions!

I have always been invested in de-mystifying the profession whenever possible, so I enjoyed having an opportunity to share with Kenyon colleagues the kind of advice that I typically offer via my affiliations with the Ford Foundation, the American Society for Theatre Research, and other national organizations. With great insight, Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs, Monique Jernigan; Provost Jan Thomas; and Director of Multicultural Affairs, A. Chris Kennerly made this session possible. I appreciated knowing that I could contribute something that my colleagues there valued.  A rewarding day!

Radio Interview: A Current Affair

On Wednesday, February 26, 2014, I joined Karma Chavez on her radio program, A Public Affair.  The interview mostly centered on Living with Lynching but it was also part of their fundraising drive. They gave copies of my book for those who pledged $50 or more and issued challenges to create some healthy competition. I caught the spirit and issued a challenge of my own.

It was a great conversation and a great time! I'm happy to have discovered the community that supports this Madison, Wisconsin community radio station.

Listen to the entire show HERE.

Lecture at Texas Tech University

On Thursday, February 20, 2014, I gave a lecture at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. It proved to be a truly special campus visit because my presentation was preceded by a dramatic reading of one of the lynching plays, Georgia Douglas Johnson's Safe, which I discuss in Chapter 5 of Living with Lynching. 

This was a major accomplishment that represented the commitment of not only the students who made time to rehearse but also of Professor Karlos Hill, who arranged my visit. Dr. Hill partnered with Professor Courtney Brown from Theatre, who served as director, guiding the students through rehearsals.

The dramatic reading set up my lecture even more beautifully than I assumed it would. I can only assume that the lively Q&A, which featured several questions that I had never received before, benefited from the context the actors provided. A truly remarkable visit that I will never forget!

Upcoming Events, February 2014

I will give a lecture at Texas Tech University on Thursday, February 20th. It is free and open to the public, and it will be preceded by a dramatic reading of a one-act lynching play by Texas Tech students.

On, Wednesday, February 26th, I will be the guest on A Public Affair, an hour-long community radio show based in Madison, Wisconsin on WORT 89.9FM. The insightful host is Karma Chavez, author of Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities. We will discuss Living with Lynching, Black History Month, racial violence, and discourses and practices of U.S. citizenship. Please tune in ONLINE if you're not in Madison. (The "Listen Live" link is at the top right of the show's webpage.)  AND, please feel free to CALL IN: 608- 256-2001. The show airs Noon to 1PM Central time, 1PM to 2PM Eastern time.

On Thursday, February 27th, I will give a lecture at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Though it is in the middle of the day—the college's common hour, from 11am to noon—it is free and open to the public. Please spread the word! It would be great to have people from outside of campus attend.

E-book only $2.99 throughout February 2014!

 
Well, you can't beat that with a stick!! $2.99!!! I don't feel cheap at all, just accessible. :-) 

I want my work to make a difference, and I believe it can if people actually read it. We really don't know much about our history, and Living with Lynching truly offers a new way to understand how we managed to survive and thrive.

You'll see this price on Amazon and other outlets throughout the month of February, and 4 other University of Illinois Press titles are also available for this amazing price. Details in the announcement from the press HERE.