SAY IT LOUD: ALL ABOUT LOVE
The Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative and 91.3 WUKY present the second installment of the second Kentucky Black Writers Series, SAY IT LOUD: ALL ABOUT LOVE. This recurring live event and discussion is designed to showcase both prominent and emerging Black writers of the Commonwealth. Audio recordings are gathered and published here at the conclusion of each event.
This event pays homage to bell hooks and her provocative and deeply personal book, All About Love. Enjoy readings by Samar Johnson, Deidra White, April Sims, and Monet Proctor that celebrate Black Love and its many expressions through their writing on this joyful, not-to-be missed evening. Live music performed by Regina Mickens. The event is free and open to the public.
SAY IT LOUD: ALL ABOUT LOVE is sponsored by the Kentucky Black Writers Collaborative, WUKY, Kentucky Arts Council, LexArts, Chethik Family Fund to Advance Black Writers, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG), the University of Kentucky, Southland Printing, Foundation 47, Project Ricochet, and UK Economic Inclusion.
MEET THE READERS
Samar Johnson
Samar Johnson is a classically trained singer turned scholar re-birthed as a writer who loves to nurture those around them to live the most authentically. They love to celebrate Blackness, queerness, and divine Femininity. They are in their last year of coursework for a PhD in Ethnomusicology and are compiling a book of poetry that explores their personal journey to reclamation of self and identity. Samar runs the day-to-day operations of the Lexington Writers Room.
Deidra White
Deidra Whiteis a Lexington, Ky. native and poet. She received the 2022 Farquhar Poetry Award for “Meihua,” the Patricia and William Stacy Endowed Fellowship for Distinguished Honors in English, the William Hugh Jansen Fiction Award in the Art of Storytelling/Folklore for “Woodstock,” and the 2023 Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing Nonfiction Award for her contemporary piece “DUCK.” Her work engages the tradition of Affrilachian writing and explores the intricate dynamics of Black womanhood with an eye to past and present connections..
April Sims
Being born in California, living in Montana, and growing up in Kentucky has given me a lot to write about. As a kid, I discovered my love for creating and was writing short stories in elementary school and publishing poems by fourth grade. The escapism of novels has always brought me joy. The ultimate dream was to grow up and become an actress (there’s still time) where I would get to bring characters to life, but I became an art teacher. Eighteen years of teaching has driven me back to my first passion. I enjoy writing romance novels and blogging about ways to create the life I wish to have. I am currently working on publishing my first romance novel this year, Shoes, Wine & Tired Ass Lines.
Monet Proctor
My name is Monet, but you can call me Mo. I am a gardener who tends to both the soil and the soul. I'm passionate about gardening and yoga. I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BA in Psychology and am a 500HR IYT. I have a 2 year old son named Princeton who is truly a Prince and I love to contemplate the world through words and paint. Reading in the sun, writing poems, and drawing butterflies are some of my favorite pastimes. I serve as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Seedleaf, primarily working in elementary and middle schools in Fayette County! Visit her website: www.seedleaf.org.
