Prose
Here are samples of prose, both short stories and poetry, that I’ve written which center afrofuturism and fantasy.
Prose
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“I was here and so were you,” he says softly after an almost unending silence. The shaking is more stilled, passing in smaller waves. “And maybe that’s what it is. To be here. Anyway.””
Sample 1
My current manuscript’s title piece, “For Dark Figures and the Long Way Home” is an ode to afrofuturism and the futures that ought to be promised for Black people.
Sample 2
“Inheritance” explores my understanding of the word; of capital, of burdens, of genetics through flesh and blood.
Sample 3
Accompanied by this whimsical mosaic by multimedia artist Yazmine Graham, this short prose piece explores a bit of folklore featuring a child with tremendous elemental power.
Mosaic by Yazmine Graham
Sample 4
This piece is about bad copies and who dictates the validity of the originals. You may also find it in Pratt Institute’s 4th edition of their published journal entitled Ghosts & Flesh.
Sample 5
Much like the aforementioned works that accompany this poem, “Taught Us How to Breathe Together,” delves into the depths of Blackness and its relation to the sea. I have always been enamored by the idea of Black mermaids but, I more specifically wanted to explore the ancestral connection that my people have with water. A connection bound by pain and release.
Sample 6
At the time that this flash story was written, I had no idea it would resonate with me as much as it has. Originally, I wanted to bring about a tale about an older woman with the power of clairvoyance, to bring forth the tales of the future even at a price. Though this transformed into something slightly different, I am nevertheless enamored by this lone elder as well as her internal knowledge. An internal knowledge that burns everything up and brings forth healing.
Sample 7
Set in a world full of listless slumber, “The Orator’s Guide to Returning” follows the story of Man who must somehow discover the truth behind his world’s current catastrophe. The ideas of knowing, waking and returning to are at the forefront of this work and shine through Man’s struggles to manage the weight of the world on his shoulders.
