James Baldwin! Thirty years after his death, James Baldwin's essays and novels have become quite popular again. His words prophetically and poetically illuminate current events, from Ferguson and the rise of Black Lives Matter, to the election of Donald Trump and the recasting of white supremacy as the "alt-right." Memes and tweets quoting his work circulate constantly on social media, especially in the wake of police shootings and other tragic events. But what do we miss when we look at Baldwin’s art and thought only through social media and solely on his works on race, tyranny, and violence? What of his meditations on love, the challenge of freedom, the illusions of safety and security, and the fatal power of shame? Ultimately, Baldwin’s vision looked beyond racial oppression and the conflicts of our era to consider universal, timeless struggles. Even his most incisive writing on race is haunted by larger questions: if we ever manage to achieve our freedom, what will we do with it? If we survive this oppression, how will we then choose to live?
Join us for an exciting talk about about the lesser known writings of James Baldwin, with our guest speaker Dr. Brian Murphy at the historic Barn House on Saturday September 23 at 4 pm. Brian is an Instructor at the Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop, a blogger for the Kenyon Review, a hip hop/spoken word artist and a Professor at Champlain College. He is also part of the Clemmons Family Farm Humanities Speaker Series, "To Sing of Common Things: Exploring Love, Family, Identity, Politics and Daily Life in African and African American Literature, Music and Performance”, funded by the Vermont Humanities Council with support from the Peace and Justice Center. In his presentation, "I Am Not Your Meme: Social Media and the Resurrection of James Baldwin", Brian will share insights on the famous author's important contributions to work beyond the topics of race and racism. He will also read from some of his favorite Baldwin writings.
Admission is free but limited to 30 people. Sign up at http://bit.ly/JamesBaldwinontheFarm
See you there!
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