2023 Statement from the VS team

11/21/23 • 2 min

A short statement from Brittany and Ajanaé regarding current events.

A short statement from Brittany and Ajanaé regarding current events.

Previous Episode

Safiya Sinclair vs. The Sea

In today’s episode, Brittany and Ajanae have the pleasure of interviewing Safiya Sinclair. Join them as they discuss the craft of switching to memoir, maintaining self-confidence while navigating academia, what their teenage selves would think of them, and the influence Jamaica has on Safiya’s writing.

Until Next Time:
Here are some pieces of media to accompany your experience of the episode and a writing prompt to tide you over until we meet again!
Audre Lorde: AUDRE LORDE | Poetry is Not a Luxury
Frida Kahlo: Frida Kahlo: The woman behind the legend - Iseult Gillespie
Derek Walcott: Derek Walcott discusses his painting and poetry

Writing Prompt: Who are you writing for? Who is coming after you that you hope your work makes a difference for? Write them a letter.

Next Episode

Sarah Lubala vs. Sentimentality

Season 8 kicks off with Brittany and Ajanae talking with Sarah Lubala, Congolese poet, and author of A History of Disappearance. In this interview, the trio discuss navigating political history and conflict, the role of matriarchal figures in her work, hope as an exercise, and writing about love without leaning into sentimentality.

Edit: In our conversation, Safia Elhillo was said to be Somali; Safia Elhillo is Sudanese- American.

Until Next Time:

Here are some pieces of media to accompany your experience of the episode and a writing prompt to tide you over until we meet again!

Writing Prompt: Write a portrait poem, imagining a place as a matriarch.