“The walls shook with laughter. Laughter that was Black. Laughs that could break glass. Laughs that could uplift a family. A cacophony of Black female joy.”
— Tara M. Stringfellow, Memphis
Hello Family and welcome new subscribers!
Meet Tara M. Stringfellow. She is a poet, former attorney, Northwestern University MFA graduate, and semifinalist for the Fulbright Fellowship. She has written for Collective Unrest, Minerva Rising, Jet Fuel Review, Women Arts Quarterly Journal, and Apogee Journal, among other publications. After having lived in Okinawa, Ghana, Chicago, Cuba, Spain, Italy, and Washington, D.C., she moved back home to Memphis, where she sits on her porch swing every evening with her hound, Huckleberry, listening to records and chatting with neighbors. Her debut novel, Memphis, has been longlisted for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction and the 2023 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award.
Here is what I had to say about her book:
“Memphis is an evocative, compelling tale that mines the depths of collective Black pain to arrive at something that might be, for once, Black healing. Writing in the ancestral tradition of stories passed from one generation to the next—relived, revised, revealed—Tara M. Stringfellow assembles an endearing and unforgettable cast of characters who find strength in vulnerability, safety in art, and liberation in telling the truth. This is a shining, splendid testimony.”
Be sure to tune in to see Tara, and three other members of the Lit 16, read and converse at:
The Lit 16: Third-Quarter Fire Circle Virtual Readings
Mahogany Books
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
7 p.m. ET
To register, please visit: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/lit16
You can purchase copies of Memphis at the Mahogany Books Lit 16 site. Follow Tara on Instagram.
We hope to see you there. And thank you for your support!
Blessings upon blessings,
Robert
What is the Lit 16?
In the spirit of community over competition, the Lit 16 reading series is how Deesha Philyaw, Kiese Laymon, and I decided to use our platforms to shine a light on emerging writers whose art has impacted, inspired, and moved us in ways that we wanted to honor and share with you.
We could have easily created a Lit 64; there are so many fantastic recent works that we adore. Unfortunately, for many reasons, we are unable to accommodate that large of a scope. However, we do encourage all of our artistic peers to advance toward the directive set forth by the iconic and legendary Ancestor Toni Morrison: “If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”
Be sure to follow the #Lit16 hashtag on social media and subscribe to Witness to stay up-to-date on upcoming Lit 16 events. Thank you so very much for joining us in celebration.
The Lit 16: Honoring sixteen emerging literary artists whose works are changing the game.
Are you enjoying the Lit 16? Please share your experiences on social media!