Belated Author News for June, 2020

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Very belated June newsletter is out here.

It is my attempt to add something (anything) useful to the renewed call that Black Lives Matter, and in this little corner of the conversation, I’m emphasizing the richness of African diasporic creativity with recommendations for…

* Keita: The Heritage of the Griot (film)
* The Epic of Sunjata (which Keita draws heavily on)
* Octavia’s Brood: Afro-Futurist anthology
* The amazing music of the Haitian band, Boukman Eksperyans.

(Links at the newsletter linked above.)

This may not seem directly relevant to police reform–and Lord knows we need that conversation–but I wanted to signal boost these works because I firmly believe that one of the most powerful long-term ways to empower a group of people to replace belittling associations about them with positive, empowering ones. African diasporic cultures do not get this positive representation nearly enough. Black Panther, I think, did a lot of good, but it’ll take a lot more.

In other news, I’ve actually had many ideas about things I want to post on DW but, thus far, no time. My teaching term just ended, and I’m trying to catch up, catch breath, and blaze through the year’s worth of creative writing I’ll have the next month and a half to accomplish before school ramps up again. Hopefully, there will be some DW posting and reading in there.

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About the author

Arwen Spicer
Arwen Spicer

Arwen Spicer is a science fiction writer and writing teacher raised in the San Fransciso Bay Area, and Northern California will hold her heart forever, even if it turns into a desert. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on ecology in utopian science fiction and is an educator on the concept of workable utopias. Her novel The Hour before Morning was hailed as “A carefully paced, rewarding sci-fi debut” by Kirkus Indie.

Arwen Spicer By Arwen Spicer

Arwen Spicer

Arwen Spicer

Arwen Spicer is a science fiction writer and writing teacher raised in the San Fransciso Bay Area, and Northern California will hold her heart forever, even if it turns into a desert. She wrote her doctoral dissertation on ecology in utopian science fiction and is an educator on the concept of workable utopias. Her novel The Hour before Morning was hailed as “A carefully paced, rewarding sci-fi debut” by Kirkus Indie.

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