PARTY!

Join us for the launch of   Ship of Souls   You’re invited to the official launch party for Ship of Souls, the latest novel for young readers by award-winning author, Zetta Elliott. Set in New York City, this unique blend of magical realism and history explores the quest for belonging, the power of friendship, [...]

Read Full Post »

the ethical professor

(l-r: J.E. Franklin, Rosamond King, Louise Meriwether, Angela Davis, Pamela Booker, Rashidah Ismaili, me) On Monday I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Angela Davis; she was being filmed by OWWA (Organization of Women Writers of Africa) and that interview will be added to their collection at the Schomburg. We gathered at NYU at the [...]

Read Full Post »

words of wisdom

Last night I had the honor of attending an awards ceremony at NYU’s Institute of African Affairs—the indomitable Maya Angelou was there to accept an award from OWWA (the Organization of Women Writers of Africa). I’m new to the board of OWWA and definitely felt out of my element (yes, I wore cute shoes that [...]

Read Full Post »

sucked in

I’m a little worried about this bog. The semester’s about to start and I just created a blog for my job (check it out: CESatBMCC); I might need to take a break from Fledgling so that I can wear my professor hat all the time. Then again, do I ever really take it off? I’m [...]

Read Full Post »

boys on film

My head’s full of stories but I haven’t allowed myself to sit and write. The fall semester starts in less than two weeks and I’ve been obsessing over my syllabi; new courses are always a challenge, especially when the course (African Civilization) falls outside my area of expertise. I like the course I’ve designed, and [...]

Read Full Post »

meet Ranger Doug

One of my goals in writing about black history is to ignite the imagination of urban kids—many of whom walk past historical monuments every day without understanding or appreciating their significance. Ship of Souls will come out next year and since the book is dedicated to my cousin Kodie (who lives in Canada), I decided [...]

Read Full Post »

The Bottom of the Pot ~ ChLA

I’ve got a long post to write about my first Children’s Literature Association conference but I got home at 2am last night and need a day of rest (and silence–even in my head). So for now, I’ve decided to post my conference paper; not sure I’ll develop this for publication, but figured it couldn’t hurt [...]

Read Full Post »

unpacking the past

I’ve got a new essay up at Hunger Mountain—here’s a short excerpt: Canada is a former British colony, and so I grew up reading (and loving) British “classics.”  Looking back on it now, I am not at all surprised that my fifth-grade teacher would select a seventy-five year old book for her students.  What I [...]

Read Full Post »

can you hear me?

It’s hard to write when you’re unsure of your audience. Who needs to know about the representation of blacks in Canadian children’s literature? If I write a traditional scholarly paper and submit it to an academic journal, it’ll be read by a handful of people. If I post an informal essay on my blog, then [...]

Read Full Post »

Stranger in the Family

I’m happy to announce the release of the Kindle edition of my book, Stranger in the Family.  It is now available in the Kindle store for $3.99—a Black History Month special! Stranger in the Family is a mixed-media memoir that examines the shifting terrain upon which we negotiate race, kinship, and identity. When my father [...]

Read Full Post »