I was eight. Some people say age seven is the pivotal year. For me, it was definitely eight. Mama and I had rented a room in a large house in a once-aristocratic section of Raleigh on Hawthorne Avenue, after Grandmommy and Granddaddy moved the rest of the family out of state. We were only a … Continue reading Artist Interrupted
Social Justice Art
Pursuing the Crack of Light
“There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” -Leonard Cohen, “Anthem” (1992) The last few years have been difficult for me. I have experienced family drama and estrangement, several difficult surgeries and a scary illness. All the while, I was preparing emotionally to transition from my identity as a university professor to … Continue reading Pursuing the Crack of Light
When The World Splits Open
What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open. -Muriel Rukeyser, from “Käthe Kollwitz” (1968) I discovered Muriel Rukeyser’s poem “Käthe Kollwitz” in the late 1970s, just as I was discovering my feminist consciousness. The words resonated with me as I struggled to tell the truth about … Continue reading When The World Splits Open
Looking Out, Looking In
A few images from my show on April 9. Here's the audio from the spoken word performance at the Meet-the-Artist Reception.