July 2012
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The Stoics
CRAFT, originally founded in 2017, publishes work in fiction and nonfiction, and in doing so aims to draw attention to questions related to the writer’s craft and stylistic approach. I am honored and thrilled that “The Stoics,” a short excerpt from my memoir-in-progress, was joint winner of the 2021 Craft Literary Nonfiction Award, judged by…
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Protocol: An Excerpt
The Thornwillow Patrons’ Prize awards outstanding new authors and artists with publication in fine press, limited editions, and distributes copies of these new publications to editors, critics, reviewers, and other opinion leaders in the literary and art worlds. I am deeply honored that “Protocol,” an excerpt from my memoir-in-progress, is among the second in Thornwillow’s…
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Navigating ELT, or Teaching English as a Second Language While Black
I was recently invited to speak on a panel entitled “Navigating ELT” at The New School, a forum for MA TESOL students and new teachers. The topics for the evening included hiring practices, online teaching, or anything I cared to say about my career trajectory. This was my response. Dear M——-, Thank you for the…
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(Anywhere but) Home for the Holidays
The last day in the office before the winter holiday break, and time seems to have slowed down. Casual chat in the hall extends. Thirty-second hellos turn into ten, fifteen, twenty minutes of discussion about teenage kids at home for the holidays, the impact of too much sugar on hormone regulation, and what to do…
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On Solid Ground: Reflections on an Easter Monday in America
Lamb roast or turkey thighs? Young children could be picky eaters. Maybe I should text my friend and ask, but it was late. They’d be fast asleep. And what about sides? Potatoes? Rice? Yes, rice would be good. A simple green salad. Fruit. A bottle of wine for my friend and her partner. We’d known…
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Looking at Places Through Artist’s Eyes
This article originally appeared on Shelterforce.org on January 11, 2017. To read the complete article and more pieces on the role of the arts in community development, visit Shelterforce.org. For many visual artists and designers, browsing the CaFÉ is a regular ritual. The online database lists calls for entry for exhibitions, public art projects, and…
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Germany’s Ferguson Ten Years On: The Unsolved Case of Oury Jalloh
“Oury Jalloh! It was murder!” Every January since 2005, activists from all over Germany have journeyed to the former East, carrying placards and posters bearing the phrase. In the beginning their activities seemed like a mere spark of righteous anger that would eventually die down and vanish. But ten years later their efforts have turned…
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Hands Up: Black Male Playwrights Turning Art into Activism
The protests that erupted in Ferguson, Missouri, following the killing of an unarmed black teenager at the hands of state police have prompted a group of New York-based playwrights to speak out. Six playwrights have been commissioned by The New Black Fest to write 10-minute monologues and performance pieces in response to the shooting of…
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English-Free Zone: The Beauty of Language
At Jubilee Market Place on 68th and Freedom Place in Manhattan, a sign hangs just beside the deli counter that reads ‘English-Only Zone.’ It’s not one of those notices you might find scribbled on a sheet of paper and taped haphazardly to the wall; whoever hung this sign did a careful job of having it…
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Forty-One Times (in memory of Trayvon Martin)
40 for free 39 for his sister 38 for his mother 37 for his baby 36 for the half-love at home 35 for the reasons he ran here instead of staying 34 there 33 for the soldiers who were on his trail 32 for the authorities who let him go 31 for the hours spent…
Amy Evans 