Writer to Writer: Conversations Between BIPOC Writers- Hawona Sullivan Janzen and Antonio Duke

Join award-winning writers Hawona Sullivan Janzen and Antonio Duke in a conversation on Blackness, history and writing for the stage. As writers, historians, playwrights, actors and scholars, Janzen and Duke believe writing is the only thing that can save us from ourselves. They will discuss their inspirations from the Black spiritual canon derived from Yoruba, Santeria and Voodoo deities and their beliefs in the power of the word. Collaborator: More Than a Single Story. This program is funded with money from Minnesota’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Writer to Writer is a series featuring conversations between Black, Indigenous writers and writers of color. These public intimate conversations between writers will give an inside look into these writers’ personal experiences as storytellers and creators. The Zoom link to the live online discussion will be emailed to registrants in advance. If you’re new to Zoom, check Getting Started with Zoom.

Register Here: https://bit.ly/W2WApril23

Panelist Bios:

Hawona Sullivan Janzen is a St. Paul-based writer, historian, and social practice artist who believes that art is the only thing that can save us from ourselves. She is currently at work on, “Hoo-shi and the Waters,” the imagined story of the courtship and marriage of her Caribbean great, great grandmother and her Irish great, great grandfather in the mid 1800’s.

Antonio Duke is a Twin Cities based actor and playwright. He’s inspired by myths from the black spiritual canon that derive from the Yoruba, Santeria and Voodoo deities. He has been seen on stages with Blue Barn Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, Pillsbury House + Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, and many more. He also portrayed John Lewis in the episode “Good Trouble” from The History Channel series “I WAS THERE.”