We're celebrating the life\, work\, and le gacy of the iconic writer\, activist\, and thinker James Baldwin as we com memorate his 100th birthday\, which would have been August 2\, 2024. Princ e Shakur and Quartez Harris have both been profoundly impacted by the life and work of James Baldwin. Join us for this engaging conversation between two of Ohio's celebrated authors and poets in honor of the 100th annivers ary of James Baldwin's birth.
\nPrince and Quartez will be signing b ooks following their conversation. Thank you to \;Gramercy Books& nbsp\;for partnering with us and making onsite books available for purchas e. Purchase your books ahead of the program\, 10% of online book sales thr ough Gramercy's Centennial Author Series page will be donated to the Bexley Community Author Series Fund at the Bexley Community Foundation.&nb sp\;
\nAbout the Authors:
\nPrince Sh akur \;is a queer\, Jamaican-American author\, journalist\, v ideomaker\, and activist recognized by the NY Times. He has written op-eds in Teen Vogue\, features on the impacts of policing\, and cultur al essays exploring black icons like Bob Marley and Huey Newton. In 2017\, his video series "Two Woke Minds" won the Rising Star Grant from GLAAD. A s an organizer\, he brought Black Lives Matter to his university campus\, supported the migrant caravan\, and served as a lead organizer with the Bl ack Queer and Intersectional Collective in Columbus\, OH. Prince also co-w rote\, produced\, and acted in an upcoming short film about two childhood friends facing their past before a significant event.
\nHis work\, w hether literary\, visual\, or grassroots\, is steeped in his commitment to black liberation\, prison abolition\, and queer resilience.
\nHis d ebut memoir\, WHEN THEY TELL YOU TO BE GOOD\, charts his politica l coming of age\, and has been hailed as a &ldquo\;scorching\, nonlinear j ourney through a Black man&rsquo\;s search for self&rdquo\; by Kirkus Revi ews.
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\nResiding in Cleveland\, \;Ohio\, Qua rtez Harris was once a second-grade \;teacher in Cleveland Pu blic City Schools. Harris was the Ohio Poetry Association's 2021 Poet of t he Year. \;Harris is the author of \;We Made It To School Aliv e\, a full-length collection of poems published by Twelve Arts Press\ , and \;Nothing\, But Skin\, a poetry collection published in 2014 by Writing Knights Press. He is the first recipient of the Barbara S mith Writer-In-Resident at Twelve Literary Arts and a 2020 Baldwin House F ellow. His poetry and ideas have been featured in \;The \;Plai n Dealer\, Ideastream\, and City Club of Cleveland. Harris is represented by McKinnon Literary Agency and his upcoming book\, \;Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a \;Writer \;- a picture book biography for young readers that explores Baldwin's youth an d what drove him to be a writer\, is due out in early 2025.
\nRegistration required. Join us in person\, or live stream this \;program \;on BPL's YouTube channel.
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