Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers of Color | Summer 2025
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Writers on Writing with Dr. Brenda M. Greene
Writers on Writing Interview
with Ishmael Reed
Sunday, April 13, 2025
Sunday, April 20, 2025
Dr. Brenda Greene interviews Ishmael Reed, award-winning poet, novelist, essayist, songwriter, composer, playwright, editor, and publisher. Greene and Reed discuss his writing life, authors with whom he has interacted, and his most recent play, The Shine Challenge which is a testament to the value of Black cultural traditions. Reeds’ books include Mumbo Jumbo, Japanese By Spring, and Yellow Broke Down, among others. The interview also features a musical composition that Reed created for the late poet Nikki Giovanni.
Writers on Writing Interview
with Rita Williams Garcia
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Sunday, March 3, 2025
Professor Donna Hill interviews New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia. Williams-Garcia is the author of numerous Young Adult (YA) and Middle Grade (MG) literature including Blue Tights, Jumped, One Crazy Summer, and A Sitting in St. James among many others. Her work explores themes of resilience, self-esteem, and learning to belong. Hill and Williams-Garcia discuss the growth of books centered around young people of color and the importance of representation, as well as the role of the publishing industry and the challenges that writers of color continue to face.
About the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY
For 20 years, the programs of the Center for Black Literature (CBL) have had a dynamic impact in the literary field. The highly anticipated author readings and book signings, journals, symposia, conferences, panel discussions, and writing workshops—and the Center’s intellectual and accessible approach to programming—form an integrative approach to programming that sets CBL apart from others. CBL’s events are known for the way they ensure that Black literary scholarship and conversations are valued and sustained.
Contact Us
Center for Black Literature (CBL)
at Medgar Evers College, CUNY
1534 Bedford Avenue | 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, New York 11216
(Click HERE for the Postal Mailing Address)
Main Phone: (718) 804-8884
Main Office: info@centerforblackliterature.org
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