Video & Audio Gallery

WIT(H)NESS: AFTERNOON SALON WITH KIESE LAYMON & WURA-NATASHA OGUNJI

October 7, 2021

New work and deep insights between Kiese Laymon, a Black southern author of bestseller HEAVY: AN AMERICAN MEMOIR (among others), and Nigerian-American visual artist and performer Wura-Natasha Ogunji, recipient of a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. Part of Wit(h)ness: a CAAPP Black Study on Intimacy.


 

 

 


WIT(H)NESS: PHOEBE BOSWELL, CYRUS CASSELLS, & AMA B. JOSEPHINE JOHNSON IN CREATIVE CONVERSATION

October 4, 2021

Visual artist Phoebe Boswell, poet Cyrus Cassells, & pleasure activist Ama Josephine B. Johnstone in Creative Conversation as part of Wit(h)ness: a CAAPP Black Study on Intimacy.


 

 

 


"FROM WAY OUT WHERE: THE BLACK AVANT-GARDE" FEAT. DOUGLAS KEARNEY, RUTH ELLEN KOCHER, JONAH MIXON-WEBSTER, & XANDRIA PHILLIPS

June 16, 2021

An evening of readings, fragments, ephemera, and conversation by some of America’s most vanguard black writers; moderated by Yona Harvey. This event was made possible by the generous support of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of the Arts & Sciences and The Dietrich Foundation.

 


 


 

 


"CULTURE COMPLEX" FEAT. LAUREN MICHELE JACKSON, TAYARISHA POE, & JACQUI GERMAIN

March 17, 2021

A digital reading & conversation, featuring feature writer Lauren Michele Jackson, filmmaker and photographer Tayarisha Poe, and poet-journalist Jacqui Germain as participant moderator in a conversation about and related to culture and culture/cultural making. Curated by CAAPP Interim Assistant Director, Steffan Triplett.

 


 

 

 


"C__ P__ TIME" FEAT. LADAN OSMAN, DEMIAN DINÉYAZHI´, ALDRIN VALDEZ, & DIVYA VICTOR

March 3, 2021

A digital reading & conversation, featuring poet Ladan Osman, transdisciplinary artist Demian DinéYazhi´, poet and visual artist Aldrin Valdez, on & around & about Time for CAAPP's Black Study 2.0 series, curated by 2019-2021 CAAPP Creative Writing Fellow, Justin Phillip Reed.

 


 

 

 


GLORY IN THE DARK: PERFORMANCE & PRACTICE FEAT. VISUAL ARTIST SHIKEITH

January 21, 2021

A digital performance, conversation, and Q&A featuring ruminations on artistic practice and virtual video performances from August Wilson House Fall/Winter Fellow & CAAPP Artist-in-Residence, multimodal artist Shikeith. Co-sponsored by the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of the Arts & Sciences and The Dietrich Foundation, presented by the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics & the August Wilson House.

 


 

 

 


"LOVE IS THE GREAT REBELLION," CHARLES BURNETT, JULIE DASH, AND DANIEL ALEXANDER JONES

October 2, 2020

A digital performance & conversation featuring filmmaking legends Charles Burnett & Julie Dash, moderated by multidisciplinary theater artist, Daniel Alexander Jones. Co-sponsored by the Department of English, The Humanities Center, The Year of Creativity (2019/20), the Center for Creativity, the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, and the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

 


 

 

 


THINKING IN CREATIVE PRACTICE: A MASTERCLASS WITH LYRAE VAN CLIEF-STEFANON

October 1, 2020

An official correspondence to CAAPP's Collective Protest & Rebellion: A Black Study Intensive," poet, author & professor Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon leads a comprehensive digital masterclass, co-sponsored by the Department of English, The Humanities Center, The Year of Creativity (2019/20), the Center for Creativity, the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, and the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

 


 

 

 


"THE SWEETNESS THAT SURVIVES THE SLAUGHTER," ARACELIS GIRMAY AND ZUN LEE

September 30, 2020

Digital reading, photography & conversation with poet and author Aracelis Girmay and award-winning visual artist, physician, and educator, Zun Lee. Co-sponsored by the Department of English, The Humanities Center, The Year of Creativity (2019/20), the Center for Creativity, the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, and the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

 


 

 

 


"LOOKING FOR LANGUAGE IN THE RUINS," JJJJJEROME ELLIS, SAIDIYA HARTMAN AND ERICA HUNT

September 29, 2020

Digital performance, reading & conversation between composer, poet, and performer JJJJJerome Ellis; writer, professor & MacArthur Fellow Saidiya Hartman; and poet, essayist, and author Erica Hunt. Co-sponsored by the Department of English, The Humanities Center, The Year of Creativity (2019/20), the Center for Creativity, the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, and the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

 


 

 

 


“THESE TYRANNICAL TIMES: POETRY AS LIBERATORY, POETRY AS UNDOING," DIONNE BRAND AND HARRYETTE MULLEN

September 28, 2020

Digital reading and conversation between transnational and genre-breaking writer Dionne Brand and poet Harryette Mullen, moderated by Yale scholar Emily Greenwood. Co-sponsored by the Department of English, The Humanities Center, The Year of Creativity (2019/20), the Center for Creativity, the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, and the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

 


 

 

 


"OVERTHROWING DEADLY METAPHORS," FEATURING YALE SCHOLAR EMILY GREENWOOD

September 28, 2020

Emily Greenwood’s opening talk for "Collective Protest and Rebellion: A CAAPP Black Study Intensive," co-sponsored by the Department of English, The Humanities Center, The Year of Creativity (2019/20), the Center for Creativity, the Pittsburgh Contemporary Writers Series, and the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

 


 

 

 


THE POETRY PARTNERSHIP OF PITTSBURGH READS

June 10, 2020

A collaborative effort of the Black Unicorn Library and Archives Project and CAAPP, the Poetry Partnership of Pittsburgh offers community-based poetry-writing workshops that build community and support, celebrate, honor, and center the knowledge, skills, pedagogies and creative practices of Black and Brown poets.

 


 

 

 


READING JUSTIN PHILLIP REED

February 27, 2020

Featuring a response from poets Simone White and Tongo Eisen-Martin, poet & performance artist Jaamil Kosoko to CAAPP Fellow Justin Phillip Reed's second collection, The Malevolent Volume.

 


 

 

 


MARILYN NELSON & SONIA SANCHEZ AT THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY LECTURE HALL

November 14, 2019

Featuring a conversation with Yona Harvey.

 


 

 

 


TYRONE WILLIAMS & JULIE PATTON READING AND DISCUSSION

September 30, 2019

Featuring a conversation with Dawn Lundy Martin.

 


 

 

 


WON'T YOU CELEBRATE WITH ME: POETRY AND PROSE FROM THE DIRECTOR'S CHAIR

April 15, 2019

Moderated by Amanda Johnston.

Featuring a reading & conversation with Dawn Lundy Martin, Salamishah Tillet, Nicole Sealey, and Mahogany L. Brown.

 


 

 

 


CLAUDIA RANKINE & CARRIE MAE WEEMS AT THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY LECTURE HALL

March 21, 2019

Video recording thanks to the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater.

 


 

 

 


CARRIE MAE WEEMS LEADS CHANT DOWN IN CAAPP MASTERCLASS

March 21, 2019


 

Chant 1
Chant 2

 


 

Ross Gay Launches His New Book, The Book of Delights: Essays, and Saretta Morgan, the Inaugural CAAPP-City of Asylum Dream-Space Resident, Reads

February 15, 2019 @ City of Asylum's Alphabet City, in partnership with City of Asylum

Video recording thanks to City of Asylum.



 

 

AN EVENING WITH TERRANCE HAYES AND RICKEY LAURENTIIS

Featuring a conversation with Dawn Lundy Martin.


 


AN EVENING WITH TRACY K. SMITH

Featuring a conversation with Dawn Lundy Martin
In partnership with Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures




 


 

THE BLACK ECSTATIC

Moderated by Rickey Laurentiis
Featuring poetry from Fatima Jamal, Safiya Sinclair, Roger Reeves, and Airea D. Matthews
In partnership with The Andy Warhol Museum

 

 


JONAH MIXON-WEBSTER READS FROM HIS DEBUT POETRY COLLECTION STEREO(TYPE)

Stereo(type) is the winner of the 2017 Sawtooth Poetry Prize.

 


 

"BECAUSE BLACKNESS LIKE POETRY MEANS MANY THINGS:" CELEBRATING CAVE CANEM

The Center for African American Poetry and Poetics and The Kelly Strayhorn Theater partner to host Cave Canem Fellows Samiya Bashir, avery r. young, Ruth Ellen Kocher, and Eisa Davis in celebration of Cave Canem's history and legecy.

 


 

BLACK FUTURES: LAYLAH ALI & CARL PHILLIPS

The Center for African American Poetry and Poetics hosts poet and essayist Carl Phillips and visual artist Laylah Ali at the University of Pittsburgh's Heinz Chapel. They each present their work, then engage in conversation with CAAPP Director Dawn Lundy Martin and CAAPP Fellow Rickey Laurentiis.

 


 

BLACK FUTURES: FRED MOTEN & LATOYA RUBY FRAZIER

The Center for African American Poetry and Poetics hosts poet and scholar Fred Moten and photographer and MacArthur fellow LaToya Ruby Frazier at the University of Pittsburgh's Heinz Chapel. They each present their work, and engage in conversation with CAAPP Director Dawn Lundy Martin.

 


 

BLACK FUTURES: A TRIBUTE TO THADDEUS MOSLEY

University of Pittsburgh presents sculptor and Pitt graduate Thaddeus Mosley with the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Professional Achievement Award; Douglas Kearney, r. erica doyle, francine j. harris, and Ronaldo V. Wilson present ekphrastic responses in honor of Mosley's legacy.

 


 

BLACK FUTURES: LATASHA N. NEVADA DIGGS, RENEE GLADMAN, VAL JEANTY, AND JOHN KEENE

A sonic lecture performed by Latasha N. Nevada Diggs and Val Jeanty, and readings by Renee Gladman, and John Keene at Frick Fine Arts Auditorium. | October 4, 2017

 


 

THE NEXT GENERATION OF BLACK POETS | CAVE CANEM FELLOWS AND FRIENDS

Featuring DJ and Poet Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela, Aziza Barnes, Aricka Foreman, Adjus Gargi Nzinga Greaves, Kamden Hilliard, and Jayson P. Smith at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater. | June 17, 2017

 


 

ALT(E)AR: A MULTIMEDIA PERFORMANCE AND ART INSTALLATION

Three videos that document the event Alt(e)ar curated by CAAPP graduate student assistant, Jessica Lanay Moore. Videos feature the art installation of Aya Rodriguez-Izumi, and the performance/monolgue of Kiyan Williams. | Wednesday, April 12, 2017

 

 


 

SITES OF MEMORY: A LANGUAGE FOR GRIEVING

Presentations and a Moderated Discussion By
M. Nourbese Philip, Sonya Posmentier, and Ibrahima Seck
Wednesday, April 5, 2017

 

 

 


 

ON BEAUTY: PLACE, BLACKNESS, AND BEING

A Presentation and Conversation with
Tonya M. Foster and Mabel O. Wilson
Thursday, March 2, 2017

 

 

 


 

ERASING BASQUIAT: A TALK BY CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL

Dream Space Residency | Monday, February 6, 2017

 

 

 


 

WHY DOES BLACK ART MATTER NOW:

Visual Artist Lorna Simpson and poet Robin Coste Lewis Present and Discuss Their Work
Thursday, December 1, 2016

 

 

 



 

WHY DOES BLACK ART MATTER NOW:

Speculative Design Proposition from architects Imani Day, Mitch McEwen, and Mario Gooden
Thursday, December 1, 2016

 

 

 


 

WHY DOES BLACK ART MATTER NOW:

This is What We Will Build When We Get Our Reparations Community Workshop
Wednesday, November 30, 2016

 

 



 

#BLACKPOETSSPEAKOUT:

Pittsburgh Community Reading
Wednesday, November 9, 2016

 

 


Nelly Rosario | Comics and Fotonovela: A Conversation About Hybridity

 

Monday, October 3, 2016

 

 


20 YEARS OF CAVE CANEM CELEBRATION:

Reading | Sunday, June 19, 2016

 

 

 


 

Poetry and Race in America

Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, University of Pittsburgh | March 24, 2016

 


Bagley Wright Lecture Series: Terrance Hayes

Library of Congress | January 22, 2016