To kick-off this year’s symposium, Columbus, Ohio-bred poet, essayist, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib will share his work before joining in conversation with writers Aaron Foley, originally of Detroit, Michigan, and Tamara Winfrey-Harris, originally of Gary, Indiana. Together, these three dynamic authors who are helping to develop the landscape for regional Black writing will discuss how Blackness is variously conceived within midwestern contexts and how their work has been shaped by their experiences as Black Midwesterners.