N.K. Jemisin is the most important science fiction/fantasy author working in the United States today, the first writer to even win "Best Novel" at the Hugo Awards three years in a row in the 2010s. Much of her success has come from a growing interest in how "fantastic" fiction might help readers think through issues of race, gender, and cultural diversity. In our discussion, we'll talk about Jemisin's story, "The Ones Who Stay and Fight," and think about how it participates in a larger movement called "Afrofuturism." Whereas African American writing often focused on the historical violence of the past, Afrofuturist authors like Jemisin ask readers to imagine the diverse forms of life that might exist in a shared future.
This program is the seventh in our ongoing "Race and American Culture" series. This program is in-person, and registration is required. When you register, you will be emailed a copy of the story.
About Dr. Ian Afflerbach
Dr. Ian Afflerbach is an Assistant Professor of American Literature at the University of North Georgia, where he teaches and researches in 20th century American literature, political history, African-American studies, and the history of ideas.
He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, and has lived in Montreal, Vermont, North Carolina, and Germany. His writing has appeared in journals like English Literary History, Modern Fiction Studies, and Studies in the Novel. He was named a 2019 Fellow by the Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies in Mainz, Germany.
TAGS: | Literature | Culture |
Main Library Telephone: 770-781-9840
Automated Telephone Renewals: 770-781-9865
