Frank X Walker
CULLOWHEE– Western Carolina University’s Ninth Annual Spring Literary Festival will feature readings from Affrilachian poet Frank X Walker at 4 p.m. at the University Theater today.
He is known for his poetry readings, which showcase a lyrical style set off against hard-edged verses about the African American struggle to be seen.
From “Statues of Liberty” in his book Affrilachia:
mamma scrubbed
rich white porcelain
and hard wood floors
on her hands and knees
hid her pretty face and body
in sack dresses
and aunt jemima scarves
from predators
who assumed
for a few extra dollars
before Christmas
in dark kitchen pantries
they could unwrap her
present
Walker took time out for brief interview with TuckReader about his work as editor, historian, poet, and professor:
TR: How do you balance your roles as poet, historian, activist, and editor? Are they the same Frank X Walker or do you have to put on different hats to accomplish your aims in each sphere?
FXW: They are the same Frank X Walker. They require different hats but the same basic approach to solving challenges. The simple answer is multi-tasking. The complex one has something to do with being a gemini and believing we have permission to be more than one person at the same time.
TR: What is Affrilachia and what are the primary challenges in telling the story of the African American experience in Appalachia? How does the African American experience in Appalachia intersect/differ with the experience in the South?
FXW: Affrilachia is way of thinking about the region that forces others to let go of the traditional stereotypes and caricatures of the region and allow a broader more inclusive definition to take shape. The Appalachian experience is different from the Southern experience for African Americans primarily around notions of invisibility and the need to reinterpret the published history, lives and culture of the region.
TR: Your poetry incorporates the rhythms of hip hop, to a certain extent, but can also be seen in conversation with American poets like Langston Hughes and William Carlos Williams? How would you categorize your style if someone (like an annoying reporter) asked you to?
FXW: I’m not much for categories. My historical poetry is so different from the work in Affrilachia and Black Box it’s hard to put them into the same box stylistically. I’ll leave it up to literary critics to make that decision.
TR: I was struck by the power and simplicity in “Statues of Liberty”? How have women’s voices shaped your writing and where do you see gender identity within the context of Affrilachian identity?
FXW: I’d say that women and not just their voices have shaped my everything. I don’t separate out Affrilachians by gender when I think about Affrilachian identity. I think the representation of women in Crystal Wilkinson’s short stories does a better job of addressing that issue and of illustrating our collective assessment of the powerful women that exist as fully developed characters in her fiction and in Affrilachia.
TR: Your work breathes life into historical characters, like York and Isaac Murpy… why do use historical characters and how does your poetry serve as a voice for characters who aren’t represented in the historical record?
FXW: I don’t think of it as using historical characters vs. presenting an historical narrative in the personas of the participants themselves. It allows me to fulfill a commitment to the Affrilachian Poet aesthetic: making the invisible visible…telling the important stories that have been left out, giving a voice to the voiceless, etc.
TR: What will you focus on at WCU?
FXW: I’m not thinking about my presentation as a workshop but more of a reading followed by a fruitful Q&A session. I hope people leave with a broader idea of and appreciation for what poetry can do. I plan to read from a variety of historical and personal works that shine a light on social justice issues, identity, place, family and history.
Read Frank’s bio in brief below:
Frank X Walker is the author of four poetry collections: When Winter Come: the Ascension of York (University Press of Kentucky, 2008); Black Box (Old Cove Press, 2005); Buffalo Dance: the Journey of York (University Press of Kentucky, 2003), which won the Lillian Smith Book Award in 2004; and Affrilachia (Old Cove Press, 2000). A 2005 recipient of the Lannan Literary Fellowship in Poetry, Walker serves as Writer in Residence and lecturer of English at Northern Kentucky University and is the proud editor and publisher of PLUCK!, the new Journal of Affrilachian Art & Culture. Of Walker’s work, Rickly L. Jones, the author of Black Haze, has said, “The work of Frank X Walker is an eclectic, powerful mixture of liberating style, profound insight, and unwavering organic connection to the intellectual, political, and cultural struggles of a people. He stands in the tradition of DuBois, McKay, Robeson, Hughes, and other great writers, poets and performers whose contributions have transcended time and space to give generation after generation pause and hope.” — Ricky L. Jones, author of Black Haze.
Susan Vreeland will read from her work at 7 p.m. in the UC Theater. See a full schedule of events for the festival here.
