Reading maps, browsing books & comic books in NYC

We read maps. We browsed books at the Strand, and we browsed comic books at Forbidden Planet comic book store and Midtown Comics.

[Related: AALCI in NYC #1 and AALCI in NYC #2]

AALCI in NYC #2

More photos from our time in NYC.

[Related: AALCI in NYC #1 and Reading maps, browsing books & comic books in NYC]

AALCI in NYC #1

We're spending a few days in New York City. A few shots outside the Museum of the City of New York.

[Related: AALCI in NYC #2 and Reading maps, browsing books & comic books in NYC]

Emily Hemmitt's poster presentation

Related
• Poster Session 2017
• AALCI 2017
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Lindsey Norward's poster presentation

Related
• Poster Session 2017
• AALCI 2017
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Chelsea Irvin's poster presentation

Related
• Poster Session 2017
• AALCI 2017

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Jena Robertson's poster presentation

Related
• Poster Session 2017
• AALCI 2017
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Tarzra Jones's poster presentation

Related
• Poster Session 2017
• AALCI 2017
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Samantha Adams's poster presentation

Related
• Poster Session 2017
• AALCI 2017
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Poster Session 2017

Wednesday, June 21, we held our annual AALCI poster session. What follows are some images from the event.

Another sketch to near-complete poster

Here's Chelsea Irvin's sketch and then near-finished poster.

Related:
• From Sketch to Finished Poster (poster preparation)
• Working quickly & quietly (poster preparation)
• Poster in process (poster preparation)
• AALCI 2017

From Sketch to Finished Poster

On Monday, I was fortunate to catch a snapshot of one of our Fellows, Samantha Adams, sketching out the plan for her poster. Then, the next day, I caught a few more shots of her assembling the project.

[Related: Preparations for the poster session ]

Related:
• AALCI 2017

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Working quickly & quietly

Our Fellow Lindsey Norward works quickly and quietly. It seems that the group had just begun to get started assembling their posters, and Lindsey was completing hers. I was fortunate to catch a shot of her finishing up.

[Related: Preparations for the poster session]

Related:
• AALCI 2017

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Poster in process

Here are a few in-process images of the poster by our Fellow Jena Robertson.

[Related: Preparations for the poster session]

Related:
• AALCI 2017

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Preparations for the poster session

Here's a glance of our AALCI Fellows preparing their materials for the poster session.

Related:
• From Sketch to Finished Poster (poster preparation)
• Working quickly & quietly (poster preparation)
• Poster in process (poster preparation)
• AALCI 2017

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The Magical Moments of Bridget Drinka

She asks more questions per minute than the average presenter. She makes maps. She transforms herself into a data artist. In short, whenever you're in a room with Bridget Drinka, then some magical moment is only seconds away.

At one point on Monday, June 19, Drinka offered a subtle act of wonder. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation, she noted in passing that she had recently been watching "German rap performed by Namibians." As we shared notes on her presentation later, the AALCI Fellows and I enjoyed thinking through the questions that emerged from Drinka's comment. Who notices Namibians performing German rap? What other knowledge is possessed by someone who comprehends Namibian German rap? What languages does she speak? What other national and cultural distinctions does she make?

For years now, I've invited Drinka to meet with the Fellows in the Institute. It's a gift to them -- exposure to such a wonderful socio-historical linguist. At the same time, it's a recurring opportunity for me: I can study this remarkably talented professor in action.

The real magic was occurring this time -- and probably as it always has -- when I began to take note of Drinka's many vocalizations. She's a linguist who delightfully absorbs and then shares the wisdom of her field. At every turn, she's citing scholars and various exciting studies and talking about the nature and movement of language practices ("shift happens!" she declares).

And she's adjusting her voice throughout the presentation.

Whatever part of the world she's describing, she gives listeners a small sampling of how people over there and right here and up and down there and way out here speak. Her voice sounds one way when she references that scholar, another way when she invokes citizens that nation, and then various other ways when she's discussing a variety of other people.

She's this one person re-presenting so much information and so many different sounds about the histories of language and language contact. It's really something. Witnessing her present at AALCI is like watching someone pull a rabbit and then another and then another out of her hat. And then a few different books. And then a bird and a fish. And then, just in passing, an image of Namibians performing German rap.

Put another way, Bridge Drinka presents a series of magical moments.    

Related: 
• AALCI 2017
• How many questions does Bridget Drinka ask per minute? (2015)
• The Multi-data artist currently known as Bridget Drinka (2013)
• Map Maker Visits the Institute (2011)

AALCI Entries

2021

Artwork commentary 

• Comments on two paintings by Kehinde Wiley

• Comments on Kehinde Wiley's Naomi and Her Daughters

• Comments on Kehinde Wiley's Anthony of Padua 

Poetry commentary 

• Comments on Porsha Olayiwola’s "Angry Black Woman"

• Comments on Lucille Clifton's "won't you celebrate with me" 

• Comments on June Jordan's "Poem about My Rights" 

Heads of the Colored People commentary 

• On Nafissa Thompson-Spires's "Belle Lettres"

• On Nafissa Thompson-Spires's "Fatima, the Biloquist"

• On Nafissa Thompson-Spires's "Heads of the Colored People"

Additional 

• Receiving guidance on tech/DH projects

• The benefits and challenges of double majors 

2020 

Entries 

Notes on Awkward Black Women

• Feeling an imposter surrounded by faces that look like yours by Ivana Onubogu 

• She feels awkward because she’s wearing a wig by Zerri Trosper 

• She was made to feel as if her disposition was excessive by Dawson Johnson 

• She Doesn’t Fit In by Victoria L. Green

American Spy 

• If I were writing my own spy-thriller by Dawson Johnson

• This black woman lead is a force by LaMaiya Wright

• Her layered sensitivity to others by Zerri Trosper

• The judgements of the audience by Ivana Onubogu

• My spy character’s mission by Victoria L. Green

Music and culture 

• Megan the Stallion Freestyle, Part 1
• Megan the Stallion Freestyle, Part 2

Defining spaces

• A Black Love Space by Dawson Johnson

• A Black male space by LaMaiya Wright

• The Medical Space by Zerri Trosper
• Poolside Resort – A Liminal Space by Ivana Onubogu

• A Model’s Space by Victoria L. Green

Poetry commentary 

• Commentary on Aiera Matthews's "Wisdom" by Dawson Johnson 

• Commentary on Aiera Matthews's "Wisdom" by Zerri Trosper

• Commentary on Jae Nichelle’s “Friends with Benefits” by Ivana Onubogu

• Commentary on Jae Nichelle’s “Friends with Benefits” by LaMaiya Wright
• Commentary on Phenomenal Woman by Victoria L. Green

2018

Entries
• AALCI in NYC 2018 

• AALCI in NYC at the Schomburg 

• Poster Presentation, 2018 

• Preparations for poster session 

• A project at different stages of development 

• Sketching out poster plans 

• The case for increased attention to meetings with students 

• Tablets and digital collections

• From "the Archive" to Archival Studies with Agnes Czeblakow 

• Tara Schmidt -- the human search engine 

• Joycelyn Moody and the 2018 AALCI Fellows 

• AALCI cohorts, 2010 - 2018 

2017
Entries
• Reading maps, browsing books & comic books in NYC
• AALCI in NYC #2
• AALCI in NYC #1
• Emily Hemmitt's poster presentation
• Lindsey Norward's poster presentation
• Chelsea Irvin's poster presentation
• Jena Robertson's poster presentation
• Tarzra Jones's poster presentation
• Samantha Adams's poster presentation
• Poster Session 2017
• Another sketch to near-complete poster (poster preparation)
• From Sketch to Finished Poster (poster preparation)
• Working quickly & quietly (poster preparation)
• Poster in process (poster preparation)
• Preparations for the poster session
• The Magical Moments of Bridget Drinka
• Joycelyn Moody and the Coltrane Quartet
• The Navigator: Tara Schmidt
• Agnes Czeblakow, Special Collections, and Teleportation
• Responses to poems by Amiri Baraka, Jayne Cortez, and Ishmael Reed
• Responses to poems by Maya Angelou and Lucille Clifton
• Deborah Willis's Black: A Celebration of Culture, Notes #1

• Deborah Willis's Black: A Celebration of Culture, Notes #2

• The Underground Railroad, Notes #1
• Course packets and reading materials
• Joycelyn Moody and the 2017 AALCI Fellows

Joycelyn Moody and the Coltrane Quartet

Years ago, I met someone who had seen the John Coltrane Quartet play live. I asked the guy what it was like to be an eye-witness to a performance by Trane and those three other musicians.

He took a second to think and then told me, “Listen: it was like going to see God. Except there were four of them.”

Years from now when people ask me what it was like to see one of our greatest interlocutors discussing scholarly projects with folks, I’ll take a second to think and then respond “Listen: witnessing  Joycelyn Moody in action was like going to see the Coltrane Quartet. Except it’s just one of her.”

At one point, she’s multi-directional like Elvin Jones. Textured like McCoy Tyner. Essential like Jimmy Garrison. And then, leading you here and there and everywhere like our heaviest spirit, Trane.
 

The highlight of our summer Institute is Moody meeting with each of the Fellows to discuss their projects. Sure, the discussions of Black Studies readings are great. The poster sessions are really exciting. The New York City trip is always amazing. But again, the highlight is Moody meeting with those Fellows about their projects.

When’s the last time you’ve observed a senior, accomplished African American literature scholar having extended individual meetings with a succession of students about their proposed projects? Been a while, hunh? Never?

The process is really something to witness. Intense at times. Calming. Wide-ranging. Enlightening. Spiritual, even. You know, like going to see the Coltrane Quartet live.

Related:
• AALCI 2017

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