The turnout at Saturday’s Black Futurists Speaks: New Queer Black reading proved that Oakland’s qpoc literary scene is huge and vibrant and ready for more events that speak to their styles and sensibilities. Of course, I’m sure it had a lot to do with the stellar lineup of Bushmama Africa, Juba Kalamka, Marvin K. White, Saeed Jones, Yvonne Fly Onakeme Etaghene and Taijhet Nyobi, the venue –Betti Ono Gallery and community hub- and the partnership with Beastcrawl– the 1000+ person literary bar crawl that brought everybody together.
Check out the Queer Questions interview series where our featured readers ruminate on blackness, queerness and the future. And look for the next sessions of Black Futurists Speak later this year. We’re planning a second futuristic black women reading and getting ready to storm the gates at the San Francisco Litcrawl on October 19th.
