In February 2019 an electric pairing of poetry and fiction took place under the title of “What Was, What Is, and What Will Be: A Cross-Genre Look at Afrofuturism.”

Cultural critic Mark Dery coined the term “Afrofuturism” in his essay “Black to the Future,” and its meaning has expanded to encompass alternative visions of the future influenced by astral jazz, African-American sci-fi, psychedelic hip-hop, rock, rhythm and blues, and more. That night, fantasy/sci-fi writer N.K. Jemisin and novelist Tananarive Due read alongside poet Airea D. Matthews.

To listen to a recording of the full event, visit bit.ly/FSLAfrofuturism

The event was co-sponsored by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation as part of its Literary Conversations series and the Center for the Book and Poetry and Literature Center at the Library of Congress.

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