1KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS / FALL-WINTER 2019

CROSSROADS

Fall / Winter 2019

KILLENS REVIEW of ARTS & LETTERS

LIFE at a

1KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS / FALL-WINTER 2019

contents

KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERSClarence V. Reynolds, Editor

Ellie Meek Tweedy, CopyEditor

Washington Design, Michele Y. Washington

Fred Beauford, Editor EmEritus

PEER REVIEW EDITORS:Victoria A. Chevalier, Alfred Henderson II, Donna Hill, Ladi’Sasha Jones, Simeon Marsalis, E. Ethelbert Miller, Nicole Sealey, and Joanna Sit

KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDMarie D. Brown, mariE Brown assoCiatEs

Keith Gilyard, pEnn statE univErsity

Anthony Grooms, KEnnEsaw statE univErsity

Lawrence P. Jackson, Johns hopKins univErsity

Barbara Killens-Rivera

Abiba Wynn-Deceus, awd & assoCiatEs Consulting

THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE STAFFBrenda M. Greene, PhD Founder and ExECutivE dirECtor

Clarence V. Reynolds, dirECtor

Maeshay k. Lewis, ExECutivE assistant and logistiCs Coordinator

Ayana Kone, BooKKEEpEr

Kira Ollivierra, CollEgE assistant

Sharrell Williams, soCial mEdia

Donna Hill, FiCtion writing worKshop

Eisa Nefertari Ulen, EldErs writing worKshop

Kel Spencer, rE-Envisioning our livEs through litEraturE Coordinator

2 EDITOR’S NOTE

3 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE

4 FEATURE EXCERPT: The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

8 ESSAY: Retro Racism by Sylvia Gail Kinard

12 NONFICTION: Ten Thousand Francs for a Bulletby Dicho Ilunga Disashi

17 NONFICTION: A Walk During Ramadan by Myronn Hardy

19 POETRY: The General Testifies in the Court of His Own Opinionand General Nat Turner Preachifies a Black Mass Over His Diasporan Remains by Charlotte Watson Sherman

21 POETRY: This Is Not a Story About Bees by Darlene Anita Scott

22 POETRY: Last Supper of Bop by Makalani Bandele

24 POETRY: The Night Called by Debra Ayis

25 PORTFOLIO by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

28 PORTFOLIO by Anderson Zaca

34 FICTION: My Great Migration by Akanke Tyra Washington

36 FICTION: 1980 in the Car with Uncle Keith and His Bodyguard, Chin by Sean Anderson

43 FICTION: We Here by Arthur R. Flowers

45 FICTION: Footsteps by Michael A. Gonzales

52 PORTFOLIO by Derek Fordjour

57 FICTION: Clemente Burning by J.L. Torres

64 FICTION: Hail Mary by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

67 CONTRIBUTORSCOVER: Self: Between Line of Past and Present. Mississippi, 2014, Rachel Eliza Griffiths

The Killens Review of Arts & Letters (ISSN 2155-1758) is published twice a year by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, of the City University of New York, 1650 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225; 718-804-8883. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the CBL. The Killens Review of Arts & Letters cannot be held responsible for unsolicited photographs or manuscripts.

FALL / WINTER 2019VOL. 11, NO. 1 & 2

For more information about The Center for Black Literatureand CBL events and programs, please visit us online at

www.centerforblackliterature.org.

Invited Participants IncludeDasan Ahanu, Sandra Adell, Keith Josef Adkins, Radha Blank,

Kia Corthron, Donja R. Love, Dominique Morisseau, Walter Mosley,Angela Nissel, NSangou Njikam, Antoinette Nwandu,

Liza Jessie Peterson, Richard Wesley, Shay Youngblood, Koko Zanditu Selaissie, and many other guests.

Roundtable Discussions, Author Readings,Films, Workshops, and More

1KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS / FALL-WINTER 2019

contents

KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERSClarence V. Reynolds, Editor

Ellie Meek Tweedy, CopyEditor

Washington Design, Michele Y. Washington

Fred Beauford, Editor EmEritus

PEER REVIEW EDITORS:Victoria A. Chevalier, Alfred Henderson II, Donna Hill, Ladi’Sasha Jones, Simeon Marsalis, E. Ethelbert Miller, Nicole Sealey, and Joanna Sit

KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDMarie D. Brown, mariE Brown assoCiatEs

Keith Gilyard, pEnn statE univErsity

Anthony Grooms, KEnnEsaw statE univErsity

Lawrence P. Jackson, Johns hopKins univErsity

Barbara Killens-Rivera

Abiba Wynn-Deceus, awd & assoCiatEs Consulting

THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE STAFFBrenda M. Greene, PhD Founder and ExECutivE dirECtor

Clarence V. Reynolds, dirECtor

Maeshay k. Lewis, ExECutivE assistant and logistiCs Coordinator

Ayana Kone, BooKKEEpEr

Kira Ollivierra, CollEgE assistant

Sharrell Williams, soCial mEdia

Donna Hill, FiCtion writing worKshop

Eisa Nefertari Ulen, EldErs writing worKshop

Kel Spencer, rE-Envisioning our livEs through litEraturE Coordinator

2 EDITOR’S NOTE

3 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE

4 FEATURE EXCERPT: The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

8 ESSAY: Retro Racism by Sylvia Gail Kinard

12 NONFICTION: Ten Thousand Francs for a Bulletby Dicho Ilunga Disashi

17 NONFICTION: A Walk During Ramadan by Myronn Hardy

19 POETRY: The General Testifies in the Court of His Own Opinionand General Nat Turner Preachifies a Black Mass Over His Diasporan Remains by Charlotte Watson Sherman

21 POETRY: This Is Not a Story About Bees by Darlene Anita Scott

22 POETRY: Last Supper of Bop by Makalani Bandele

24 POETRY: The Night Called by Debra Ayis

25 PORTFOLIO by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

28 PORTFOLIO by Anderson Zaca

34 FICTION: My Great Migration by Akanke Tyra Washington

36 FICTION: 1980 in the Car with Uncle Keith and His Bodyguard, Chin by Sean Anderson

43 FICTION: We Here by Arthur R. Flowers

45 FICTION: Footsteps by Michael A. Gonzales

52 PORTFOLIO by Derek Fordjour

57 FICTION: Clemente Burning by J.L. Torres

64 FICTION: Hail Mary by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

67 CONTRIBUTORSCOVER: Self: Between Line of Past and Present. Mississippi, 2014, Rachel Eliza Griffiths

The Killens Review of Arts & Letters (ISSN 2155-1758) is published twice a year by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, of the City University of New York, 1650 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225; 718-804-8883. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the CBL. The Killens Review of Arts & Letters cannot be held responsible for unsolicited photographs or manuscripts.

FALL / WINTER 2019VOL. 11, NO. 1 & 2

For more information about The Center for Black Literatureand CBL events and programs, please visit us online at

www.centerforblackliterature.org.

Invited Participants IncludeDasan Ahanu, Sandra Adell, Keith Josef Adkins, Radha Blank,

Kia Corthron, Donja R. Love, Dominique Morisseau, Walter Mosley,Angela Nissel, NSangou Njikam, Antoinette Nwandu,

Liza Jessie Peterson, Richard Wesley, Shay Youngblood, Koko Zanditu Selaissie, and many other guests.

Roundtable Discussions, Author Readings,Films, Workshops, and More

1KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS / FALL-WINTER 2019

contents

KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERSClarence V. Reynolds, Editor

Ellie Meek Tweedy, CopyEditor

Washington Design, Michele Y. Washington

Fred Beauford, Editor EmEritus

PEER REVIEW EDITORS:Victoria A. Chevalier, Alfred Henderson II, Donna Hill, Ladi’Sasha Jones, Simeon Marsalis, E. Ethelbert Miller, Nicole Sealey, and Joanna Sit

KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDMarie D. Brown, mariE Brown assoCiatEs

Keith Gilyard, pEnn statE univErsity

Anthony Grooms, KEnnEsaw statE univErsity

Lawrence P. Jackson, Johns hopKins univErsity

Barbara Killens-Rivera

Abiba Wynn-Deceus, awd & assoCiatEs Consulting

THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE STAFFBrenda M. Greene, PhD Founder and ExECutivE dirECtor

Clarence V. Reynolds, dirECtor

Maeshay k. Lewis, ExECutivE assistant and logistiCs Coordinator

Ayana Kone, BooKKEEpEr

Kira Ollivierra, CollEgE assistant

Sharrell Williams, soCial mEdia

Donna Hill, FiCtion writing worKshop

Eisa Nefertari Ulen, EldErs writing worKshop

Kel Spencer, rE-Envisioning our livEs through litEraturE Coordinator

2 EDITOR’S NOTE

3 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE

4 FEATURE EXCERPT: The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

8 ESSAY: Retro Racism by Sylvia Gail Kinard

12 NONFICTION: Ten Thousand Francs for a Bulletby Dicho Ilunga Disashi

17 NONFICTION: A Walk During Ramadan by Myronn Hardy

19 POETRY: The General Testifies in the Court of His Own Opinionand General Nat Turner Preachifies a Black Mass Over His Diasporan Remains by Charlotte Watson Sherman

21 POETRY: This Is Not a Story About Bees by Darlene Anita Scott

22 POETRY: Last Supper of Bop by Makalani Bandele

24 POETRY: The Night Called by Debra Ayis

25 PORTFOLIO by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

28 PORTFOLIO by Anderson Zaca

34 FICTION: My Great Migration by Akanke Tyra Washington

36 FICTION: 1980 in the Car with Uncle Keith and His Bodyguard, Chin by Sean Anderson

43 FICTION: We Here by Arthur R. Flowers

45 FICTION: Footsteps by Michael A. Gonzales

52 PORTFOLIO by Derek Fordjour

57 FICTION: Clemente Burning by J.L. Torres

64 FICTION: Hail Mary by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

67 CONTRIBUTORSCOVER: Self: Between Line of Past and Present. Mississippi, 2014, Rachel Eliza Griffiths

The Killens Review of Arts & Letters (ISSN 2155-1758) is published twice a year by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, of the City University of New York, 1650 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225; 718-804-8883. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the CBL. The Killens Review of Arts & Letters cannot be held responsible for unsolicited photographs or manuscripts.

FALL / WINTER 2019VOL. 11, NO. 1 & 2

For more information about The Center for Black Literatureand CBL events and programs, please visit us online at

www.centerforblackliterature.org.

Invited Participants IncludeDasan Ahanu, Sandra Adell, Keith Josef Adkins, Radha Blank,

Kia Corthron, Donja R. Love, Dominique Morisseau, Walter Mosley,Angela Nissel, NSangou Njikam, Antoinette Nwandu,

Liza Jessie Peterson, Richard Wesley, Shay Youngblood, Koko Zanditu Selaissie, and many other guests.

Roundtable Discussions, Author Readings,Films, Workshops, and More

1KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS / FALL-WINTER 2019

contents

KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERSClarence V. Reynolds, Editor

Ellie Meek Tweedy, CopyEditor

Washington Design, Michele Y. Washington

Fred Beauford, Editor EmEritus

PEER REVIEW EDITORS:Victoria A. Chevalier, Alfred Henderson II, Donna Hill, Ladi’Sasha Jones, Simeon Marsalis, E. Ethelbert Miller, Nicole Sealey, and Joanna Sit

KILLENS REVIEW OF ARTS & LETTERS EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDMarie D. Brown, mariE Brown assoCiatEs

Keith Gilyard, pEnn statE univErsity

Anthony Grooms, KEnnEsaw statE univErsity

Lawrence P. Jackson, Johns hopKins univErsity

Barbara Killens-Rivera

Abiba Wynn-Deceus, awd & assoCiatEs Consulting

THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE STAFFBrenda M. Greene, PhD Founder and ExECutivE dirECtor

Clarence V. Reynolds, dirECtor

Maeshay k. Lewis, ExECutivE assistant and logistiCs Coordinator

Ayana Kone, BooKKEEpEr

Kira Ollivierra, CollEgE assistant

Sharrell Williams, soCial mEdia

Donna Hill, FiCtion writing worKshop

Eisa Nefertari Ulen, EldErs writing worKshop

Kel Spencer, rE-Envisioning our livEs through litEraturE Coordinator

2 EDITOR’S NOTE

3 LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR BLACK LITERATURE

4 FEATURE EXCERPT: The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom

8 ESSAY: Retro Racism by Sylvia Gail Kinard

12 NONFICTION: Ten Thousand Francs for a Bulletby Dicho Ilunga Disashi

17 NONFICTION: A Walk During Ramadan by Myronn Hardy

19 POETRY: The General Testifies in the Court of His Own Opinionand General Nat Turner Preachifies a Black Mass Over His Diasporan Remains by Charlotte Watson Sherman

21 POETRY: This Is Not a Story About Bees by Darlene Anita Scott

22 POETRY: Last Supper of Bop by Makalani Bandele

24 POETRY: The Night Called by Debra Ayis

25 PORTFOLIO by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

28 PORTFOLIO by Anderson Zaca

34 FICTION: My Great Migration by Akanke Tyra Washington

36 FICTION: 1980 in the Car with Uncle Keith and His Bodyguard, Chin by Sean Anderson

43 FICTION: We Here by Arthur R. Flowers

45 FICTION: Footsteps by Michael A. Gonzales

52 PORTFOLIO by Derek Fordjour

57 FICTION: Clemente Burning by J.L. Torres

64 FICTION: Hail Mary by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

67 CONTRIBUTORSCOVER: Self: Between Line of Past and Present. Mississippi, 2014, Rachel Eliza Griffiths

The Killens Review of Arts & Letters (ISSN 2155-1758) is published twice a year by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, of the City University of New York, 1650 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225; 718-804-8883. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the CBL. The Killens Review of Arts & Letters cannot be held responsible for unsolicited photographs or manuscripts.

FALL / WINTER 2019VOL. 11, NO. 1 & 2

For more information about The Center for Black Literatureand CBL events and programs, please visit us online at

www.centerforblackliterature.org.

Invited Participants IncludeDasan Ahanu, Sandra Adell, Keith Josef Adkins, Radha Blank,

Kia Corthron, Donja R. Love, Dominique Morisseau, Walter Mosley,Angela Nissel, NSangou Njikam, Antoinette Nwandu,

Liza Jessie Peterson, Richard Wesley, Shay Youngblood, Koko Zanditu Selaissie, and many other guests.

Roundtable Discussions, Author Readings,Films, Workshops, and More