Future of Black

Gary Jackson is the author of the poetry collection Missing You, Metropolis (Graywolf, 2010), which received the 2009 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. His poems have appeared in numerous literary journals including Callaloo, Tin House, Los Angeles Review of Books, and Crab Orchard Review.Len Lawson is the author of Chime (Get Fresh Books, 2019), the chapbook Before the Night Wakes You (Finishing Line Press, 2017), and co-editor of Hand in Hand: Poets Respond to Race (Muddy Ford Press, 2017). He has received fellowships from Tin House, Callaloo, Vermont Studio Center, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. His website is www.lenlawson.co.Cynthia Manick is the author of Blue Hallelujahs (Black Lawrence Press, 2016), which won the 2016 Lascaux Prize in Collected Poetry, and editor of Soul Sister Revue: A Poetry Compilation (Jamii Publishing, 2019). She has received fellowships from Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, and MacDowell Colony. Her website is www.cynthiamanick.com.

"A formidable collection of talent...The Future of Black is a necessary compendium of early 21st-century Afrofuturistic verse and thought."—Los Angeles Review of Books"Superstars of poetry have created work around both real-life and fictional superheroes in this innovative collection of poetry and art... This unique volume is a wonderful addition to library collections invested in the celebration of Black voices and Black visual art."—Booklist"The Future of Black is a marvel. Some of the best Black voices out there deconstructing subjects we've all come to know intimately. But not like this. Superheroes and superheroism, pop-culture and genre media are transmuted into poetry that is sharp and staggering. Pick this book up and savor it. You won't regret it."—Cadwell Turnbull, No Gods, No Monsters and The Lesson

• Table of ContentsSheree Reneé Thomas, “The Sun Burnt Up and Other Reasons to Riot”Introduction from the EditorsMAN OF STEELBorelson, UnleashedLucille Clifton, “if i should,” “further note to clark,” “final note to clark,” “note passed to superman”Frank X. Walker, “new note to clark kent”Turtel Onli, M10teri elam, “Superman Retires”Ashley M. Jones, “Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane No. 106”Cynthia Manick, “Dear Superman”MORE SUPERHEROESJohn Jennings, AfrofuturismGary Jackson, “Nightcrawler Buys a Woman a Drink” Yorli Huff, Superhero HuffA. Van Jordan, “The Flash Reverses Time” Keith S. Wilson, “Aubade on Bachelorhood and Never Becoming the Flash” Tony Medina, “Blue Dick Blue Balls” Loretta Diane Walker, "Princess Diana of Themyscira, Aka Wonder Woman"BLACK SUPERHEROESYorli Huff, Superhero HuffSteven Leyva, “Ode to Static” Derrick Weston Brown, “Bruuuuuh or When Brothers Debate Black Panther in a Safeway parking Lot.” Tara Betts, “Storm Writes to Black Panther,” “Oya Invites Storm to Tea” Sheree Reneé Thomas, “If There Is Darkness,” Grisel Acosta, “I of the Hurricane” Amanda Johnston, “Blade Speaks at Career Day” Borelson, Channeling the EnergyTim Seibles, “Blade, the Daywalker,” “Blade, Historical,” “Blade, Unplugged” Cynthia Manick, “Praise for Luke Cage’s Skin and Starshine” Gary Jackson, “Luke Cage Tells It Like It Is” BLACK ANTIHEROESWolly McNair, RavenSheree Reneé Thomas, “Eartha Kitt Reflects On Cat Woman”Steven Leyva, “Ode to Lando Calrissian”Len Lawson, The Amanda Waller Suite“Episode 1: Amanda Waller Enters the War Room,” “Episode 2: Amanda Waller Attracts a Bat,” “Episode 3: Amanda Waller Has a Woman-to-Woman with Harley Quinn,” “Episode 4: Amanda Waller Assembles a Suicide Squad” John Jennings, AjalaRodney Wilder, “Invocation”Cortney Lamar Charleston, “Elegy for Kilmonger With My Own Pain Entering Frame”Frank X. Walker, “New Rules for Crime Fighting”BLACK POP CULTURENajee Dorsey, Southern Futurist over Civil War SoilSaida Agostini, “the ending where queen and slim live”Derrick Weston Brown, “So Jon Snow and Colin Kaepernick are in a pub…”Alice Kandolo, Let's Party in SpaceTara Betts, “Before Sasha Lights a Bonfire,” “To Lieutenant Nyota Uhura”Casey Rocheteau, “Sun Ra Speaks to Gucci Mane”TJ Anderson, “Space is the Place”Qunicy Scott Jones, “‘post-racial' as Samuel L. Jackson”BLACK HISTORYKaro Duro, city upon a hillJoshua Bennett, “Frederick Douglass Is Dead”Quentin VerCetty, the new Queen's GatesYona Harvey, "In Toni Morrison's Head"Keith S. Wilson, “uncanny emmett till”Yorli Huff, Agent HuffAshley M. Jones, “Soul Power / James Brown Time Loop”Peter Schmidt, “Octavius V. Catto”avery r. young, “((( in my marvin gaye voice ))) light year(s) / ahead friday (2020) – poem”Moriah S. Webster, “Harlem [3]” Joshua Bennett, “When Thy King Was a Boy”VIDEO GAMES & FANTASYKaro Duro, Woman of sand and stoneTrace DePass, “ode to pokemon trainer Red” Ashley Harris, “God Usopp,” “Majora’s Mask,” “Ode to Pinky and the Brain” Wolly McNair, Black Magic Is Only Bad in the MoviesRico Frederick, “Keep De Hacksaw on Mary Poppin's Throat” Cortney Lamar Charleston, “Grand Theft Auto III (2001)” Douglas Kearney, from “Over Deluxe AF,” “Maroon AF,” “But Black, It Can’t—"NEW ORIGINS Alex Kandolo, Galaxy WomanDexter Booth, “Jim Crow’s Dirge”Glenis Redmond, “How to Become Your Own Supershero”Joshua Bennett, “The Book of Mycah”Najee Dorsey, B4-Rosa—Here I StandTeri Ellen Cross David, “Origin Story”Cagen Luse, GenerationsTony Medina, “Five Chanclas of Death,” “The Original”Terrance Hayes, “Shafro,” “American Sonnet for My Past and Future Assassin”Douglas Kearney, “I Imagine I Been Science Fiction Always”Saida Agostini, “speculative fiction: apocalypse” Derrick Weston Brown, “Derrick Weston Brown Sonsplains AfroFuturist/Speculative Social Science to his Mother, a therapist who is also a longtime member of The National Association of Black Social Workers”NEW FAITH CONSTRUCTSKaro Duro, The oracleRichard Garcia, “Black Jesus”Khalif Thompson, Toyin SalauRico Frederick, “A Better Savior”Bianca X, “Creation Myth”Natalie J. Graham, “The Origin of Moths”Craig Stevens, “As It Is in Heaven”BLACK WOMEN NARRATIVESNikki Giovanni, “Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why)” Teri Ellen Cross Davis, “The Goddess of Anger”Ashley M. Jones, “Friendly Skies, or Black Woman Speaks Herself into God”Kevin Johnson, Looking for HopeTim Fab-Eme, “Mitochondrial Eve”Kevin Johnson, Resolving SorrowTerese Mason Pierre, “La Diablesse”Maurya Kerr, “Sonnet I”Karo Duro, Arch AngelTony Medina, “Well, You Needn’t”Les James, “Why Black Women Write Horror Stories:”Yona Harvey, "Dark & Lovely after Take-Off (A Future)"AFROFUTURISM & SPECULATIVE POETRYJamal A. Michel, FATE: Fight for IdrissSaida Agostini, “the moongazer speaks on longing”Cagen Luse, AfronautTyree Daye, “give them the moon—here”Tracy K. Smith, “Sci-Fi,” “My God, It’s Full of Stars,” “The Universe: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”A. Van Jordan, “Einstein Defining Special Relativity”Gil Scott-Herron, “Whitey on the Moon”Ashley Harris, “Fireworks”Joshua Bennett, "In Defense of Passing"John Jennings, Black KirbySteven Leyva, “The Silver Screen Asks, ‘What’s Up Danger?’ After We Enter”John Jennings, Octavia Butler (73rd Birthday)Tony Medina, “Banner day” Keith S. Wilson, “Heliocentric”Quincy Scott Jones, “Untitled”upfromsumdirt, “SPACESHIP FOR SALE,” “Fair Gabbro Travels Time To View The End Of Days”Rashida James-Saadiya, “One day the sky began to weep and did so for 300 days”Anastacia Renee, “III.,” “apocalypse (400)” Nikia Chaney, “Untitled,” “spinnerman spinnerman”Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, “excerpt from FUGUE: THE SIGHT”Yvonne McBride, “By the Blood Moon Bridge”Dexter Booth, “The Coon Show”Yona Harvey, "Q."Tim Seibles, “Something Like We Did”ContributorsAfrofuturism Syllabus Resources