A Global Conversation: The Death of Vivek Oji
One Book One Bronx in collaboration with Beyond Words Book Club and Lagos Live! will host simultaneous multi-venue conversations on Akwaeke Emezi’s The Death of Vivek Oji.
Named a Best Book of 2020 by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, USA TODAY, Vanity Fair, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Shondaland, Teen Vogue, Vulture, Lit Hub, Bustle, Electric Literature, and BookPage, the conversations and panel will examine the many elements of The Death of Vivek Oji that galvanize memory, identity, and familial bonds. Scheduled over several dates on Zoom and in person, this project reimagines how a community of readers can serve the cultural good.
• All dates are free and open to the public
• Choose the venue that fits your availability
IN PERSON
Hosted by One Book One Bronx
James Baldwin Outdoor Learning Center Farmers’ Market
Goulden & Sedgwick Aves. (DeWitt Clinton High School)
Free copies of The Death of Vivek Oji will be distributed to the first 25 participants.
• Saturday, 10/1, 1pm: (introductions)
• Saturday, 10/8, 1pm: Chapters 1-8 (pages 1-87)
• Saturday, 10/15, 1pm: Chapters 9-17 (pages 88-161)
• Saturday, 10/22, 2pm: Chapters 18-24 (pages 162-245)
ON ZOOM
Hosted by Beyond Words Book Club
One Book Oe Bronx will join Beyond Words Book Club for a joint virtual discussion
• Wednesday, 10/5, 7pm: Chapters 1-6 (pages 1-49)
• Wednesday, 10/12, 7pm: Chapters 7-12 (pages 50-116)
• Wednesday, 10/19, 7pm: Chapters 13-18 (pages 117-179)
• Saturday, 10/22, 2pm: Chapters 19-24 (pages 180-245)
Nigeria-based Lagos Live! will join the panel on Thurs, 10/20, and the culminating Zoom event on Sat, 10/22.
VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION
The Sexuality of Vivek Oji
• Thursday, 10/20, 7pm
How can a deeper exploration of this book bring us closer to the issues that affected the short life of Vivek Oji? The panel will focus on the different themes of the book: parent-child relationships, sexuality, queerphobia, and masculinity and how they manifest in communities of color.
Participants
Tasha Dougé is a Bronx-based, Haitian-infused artist, artivist & cultural vigilante. Her body of work activates conversations around women, advocacy, sex, education, societal "norms," identity, and Black pride. Through conceptual art, teaching, and performance, Dougé devotedly strives to evoke empowerment for women and illuminate the contributions of Black people, declaring that her "voice is the first tool within my art arsenal."
Shanae Adams, MA, LPCC, NCC, CIGT (she/they) serves community in a variety of ways, including therapist, educator, and sex-positive enthusiast. Their mission of sexuality normalization, explanation, and melanated representation drives her to prioritize the healing and experiences of QTBIPOC & femmes of color. They are currently pursuing their Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology.
Rachel Finn is a Librarian, Archivist, and Writer in New York City. She has published numerous articles documenting the food history of African Americans and the global African Diaspora. She is the Collections Manager at Weeksville Heritage Center, where she is developing a new vision for library and archival collections.
Kọla Túbọsún is a Nigerian linguist, editor, travel writer, and scholar. His works have been published in African Writer, Aké Review, Brittle Paper, International Literary Quarterly, Jalada, Popula, Saraba Magazine, etc. In 2016, he became the first African to be given the Premio Ostana, a prize given for work in indigenous language advocacy.
