(Detroit, MI) — This Saturday PEN America will host a virtual reading and conversation to celebrate the release of Nandi Comer’s new book Tapping Out.
Presented in partnership with Northwestern University Press, the event will include Comer alongside Detroit poets Tommye Blount and Aricka Foreman. Blount and Foreman will read from their forthcoming collections and will join Comer to celebrate her new book, talk about putting together their respective manuscripts, and discuss the larger Detroit literary community in a conversation moderated by poet Tarfia Faizulla.
This event is free and open to the public. To join the live event, visit facebook.com/PENamerica.
This event is made possible by PEN America’s Literary Engagement and Activism Fund, supporting activities that engage and stimulate literary activism in communities across the country.
WHAT: Nandi Comer Virtual Reading and Conversation
WHO: Nandi Comer in conversation with poets Tommye Blount, Aricka Foreman, and Tarfia Faizulla.
WHEN: May 16, 3:00pm – 4:30pm EDT
WHERE: Virtual event at Facebook.com/PENamerica
WHY: In Nandi Comer’s new book Tapping Out, Mexican freestyle wrestling becomes the poet’s lyrical motif, uncovering what is behind the intricate masks we wear in society and our search for place within our personal histories. Comer’s poetic narratives include explorations of violence, trauma, and identity. The harsh realities of being migrant and immigrant, being birthright and oppressed, are as hard-pressed as the plancha move to the body.
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PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. pen.org