Thomas Sayers Ellis: Interview
by Penny Dickerson
True to community, Ellis is a cultural icon in his own right. A co-founder of the now defunct Dark Room Collective, he followed its departure with the birth of Quotes Community: Notes For Black Poets, an anthology of comments on craft and race between emerging and established black poets from all over the world. Read the full interview.
Dark Room Collective: Essay
by Sharan Strange
The funeral was a literary event, like a reading or book party. All our literary icons were there. Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, and Amiri Baraka eulogized Baldwin, and it was thrilling to hear Baraka describe him as “God’s own revolutionary black mouth.” It was something no funeral is supposed to be: a heady affair. Yes, we went to say farewell to “Jimmy,” but our sense of loss couldn’t truly match that of the people who had actually known him. We felt somewhat like distant young cousins of a family patriarch whose passing we felt as momentous but could be met without the deepest sorrow for we had known him only from a distance. Read the full interview.
The New New Mosaic
Sold Out!
Mosaic is a literary platform that showcases the work of writers of African descent. Each issue is curated by a respected guest editor, who selects a variety of works that represent the the theme of the Mosaic Literary Conference and the diversity of the African diaspora.
Lessons Plans
Mosaic develops workshops and lesson plans that demonstrate how Mosaic’s content, books, and culture can help empower educators, parents, and community-based organizations to use books, writing, and reading to engage curious minds. We invite the community to take part in our programs. Read more.
The Beautiful Ones
Mosaic is committed to providing a space to the beautiful ones –writers such as Lucille Clifton, NIkki Giovanni, William Melvin Kelly who are blessed with the imprimatur “elder.” Their words and lives embody the work that must be done to nurture movements that continue to resonate and bear fruit. Read more.