Uhuru – Jeffrey Lee Cheatham II

March 3, 2021

2020 Jack Straw writer Jeffrey Lee Cheatham II’s project is a graphic novel titled Uhuru, a pirate adventure story centering Black characters. In his conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss the lack of Black representation in children’s literature, professional wrestling and Archie comics, and creating Black stories that expand beyond a monolithic experience. “One of […]

Read More

Categories:

Obo Addy and Julian Priester – For Your Information

February 24, 2021

In 1999, Jack Straw brought together Ghanaian percussionist Obo Addy and jazz trombonist Julian Priester for a composer residency, commissioning them to create new work together. The project, titled Confluence, culminated in a concert at On the Boards on October 18, 1999 as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival. “For Your Information” is one of […]

Read More

Categories:

Naia – Helen K. Thomas

February 17, 2021

2020 Jack Straw writer Helen K. Thomas’s project is a collection of short stories that feature Black girl protagonists from the Pacific Northwest. In her conversation with curator Anastacia-Renée, they discuss Young Adult fiction and expanding representation of young Black girls in those stories. “To be a part of that and to choose to be […]

Read More

Categories:

Black Imagination: Sites of Power

February 10, 2021

Jack Straw Artist Natasha Marin‘s multimedia online exhibit, Black Imagination: Sites of Power is now available at black-imagination.com. In this excerpt from the audio portion of the project, Salma Siddick responds to the prompt, “What is your relationship to Africa, real or imagined?”

Read More

Categories:

Dennis Rea – Altai By and By

January 27, 2021

Dennis Rea‘s album Giant Steppes, produced in part through the Jack Straw Artist Support Program, is now available from MoonJune Records. This track features Jack Straw artists Juliana and PAVA.

Read More

Categories:

LaVon Hardison – Center of My Gravity

January 13, 2021

LaVon Hardison wrote “Center of My Gravity” in response to the work of Jack Straw Writer Helen K. Thomas, as part of the Bushwick Book Club Seattle‘s 2020 collaboration with the Jack Straw Writers Program. Hear more collaborations on Jack Straw and Bushwick’s websites and social media.

Read More

Categories: