<aside> ✨ #archives #curation #literary-intimacy #memory #black-women #black-poetry
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My overall goal as an archivist and museum scholar is to bridge the gap between literature, museum studies, and art. To obtain this goal, I aim to tie the brilliance of black writers with the preservation of history and the impact literature has on the formation of black culture and art. To do this, I hope to create immersive virtual events that allow readers to delve deep into the creation of literature while also providing contextualization for its production.
I imagine myself as a cultural curator who puts a contemporary and interactive spin on traditional literary readings. Most traditional literary readings follow a standard format that was created by classist and religious values which no longer serve nor support writers and readers today. My goal is to invite the readers into an intimate and multidimensional space that sets the foundation for an interactive, imaginative, and deep interpretation of the black writer's creative contributions. It also allows black writers a chance to define themselves, their work, and legacy. More importantly, it could foster an environment that refuses to separate the creativity from its creator and the community that consumes the work.
With this multidisciplinary approach, I hope to interrogate what happens when a reading becomes an experience, when the characters, writers, artists, and readers are allowed to intermingle and live outside of the page. For this project, I’d like to curate a virtual reading and exhibition focused on the work and life of poet Nikky Finney. How Fingers Make Cherries Sing would include archival artifacts, poetry, and artwork inspired by her work. The reading and exhibition will resemble a virtual tour which allows readers to click and enter various spaces, mimicking an exhibit, but guides them through Finney's poetry, life, and legacy. Creating a space that decolonizes literary readings provides the opportunity to engage black readers and deepens the understanding of black literature.
<aside> 🧭 twitter @chris__tiana | instagram @chris__tiana
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Christiana McClain is a black queer writer from Houston, Texas. She graduated from Spelman College in 2018 and received her MFA from Southern University Illinois in 2021. She is currently enrolled in the MLIS program at University of Maryland where she is aiming to combine her love of literature, archives, and museum studies into a unique career path.
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