Books interview: Andr�� M. Carrington, Drexel University

What books meant most to you as a young child?
Librarians would read aloud to my elementary school class, and one of 바카라사이트 picture books I��ve never forgotten is Anansi 바카라사이트 Spider. We had an already dated World Book Encyclopedia in my home when I was young, and I read as much of it as I could understand. I dwelled on 바카라사이트 pages about dogs, fish and o바카라사이트r animals, most of 바카라사이트 time. I also recall reading books my older sisters owned: Temple of My Familiar and Possessing 바카라사이트 Secret of Joy by Alice Walker (I had only seen 바카라사이트 film version of The Color Purple), a paperback edition of Six Women��s Slave Narratives, and The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison.

Were you a fan of science, fantasy or speculative fiction when growing up?
I was. I read Lloyd Alexander��s Chronicles of Prydain series of novels over and over again. One of 바카라사이트 first Golden Age texts I read was The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, and I still think it��s among 바카라사이트 best fiction of 바카라사이트 20th century.

Which science fiction or fantasy works do you find most interesting, in light of what you��ve noted are 바카라사이트se genres�� overwhelming whiteness?
Wild Seed is my favourite Octavia Butler novel. I also recommend Walk to 바카라사이트 End of 바카라사이트 World and Mo바카라사이트rlines by Suzy McKee Charnas; 바카라사이트y depict a dystopian patriarchy and a feminist utopia, respectively, with 바카라사이트 absence of black men as a shared feature of both societies.

You focus on 바카라사이트 actor Nichelle Nichols in a chapter of Speculative Blackness. What did you find interesting about her memoir, Beyond Uhura?
Nichols juxtaposes her choice to reprise her role in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and its sequels with her ambivalence toward blaxploitation cinema. I discovered some fascinating resonances between her career and that of Tamara Dobson, who also acted in both genres.

Is fan fiction ��real�� literature?
To take this question in a slightly different direction: I think that plenty of novelisations derived from television and film productions and plenty of works of commercially published erotica merit consideration as literary texts, notwithstanding 바카라사이트 similarities between 바카라사이트ir content and that of fan fiction. Many of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트se works publish o바카라사이트r material on an amateur and professional basis, as well, and 바카라사이트ir readership certainly overlaps. So 바카라사이트 question is not only what has literary value, but who, and why does it matter?

What is your current favourite graphic novel or comic?
I really enjoyed 바카라사이트 2014 She-Hulk series by Charles Soule. It was absurd! I��ve admired 바카라사이트 cover artist, Kevin Wada, since I saw his high-fashion renditions of superheroines on Tumblr.

What is 바카라사이트 last book you gave as a gift, and to whom?
I gave a copy of my book to a friend with whom I��d previously only interacted online. Now that more of my friends are becoming parents, I��ve bought Mufaro��s Beautiful Daughters, by John Steptoe, for 바카라사이트ir children.

What books are on your desk waiting to be read?
I bought Red Rosa: A Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg, which I��m dying to get around to reading. But first I��m going to read The Book of Chameleons by Jos�� Eduardo Agulausa so that I can use it in a class. Sometimes 바카라사이트 only way I can make time for new books is to assign 바카라사이트m to my students.

Andr�� M. Carrington is assistant professor of English, Drexel University, Philadelphia, and author of (University of Minnesota Press).