FAMU's 13th Annual Spring Literary Forum: "Elwood's Tallahassee: Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys"

This year, Florida A&M University’s 13th Annual Spring Literary Forum places The Nickel Boys, an award-winning novel (Pulitzer Prize 2020) by Colson Whitehead, at the center of our discussions on literature and culture.  In The Nickel Boys, Tallahassee and a fictitious site that resembles the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna are the novel’s primary settings. The novel’s protagonist, Elwood Curtis, is a bright, idealistic teenager who resides in Tallahassee’s Frenchtown in the 1960s.  Our speakers—scholars, Tallahassee residents, and other guests—will engage in thought-provoking conversations about Elwood’s world in Jim Crow Tallahassee: Emancipation Day, Frenchtown, FAMU’s civil rights legacy, and the Dozier School for Boys.  Join us for a day of enlightening remembrances from people who experienced some of the events noted in Whitehead’s stirring novel about class, race, social justice, redemption, and the loss of innocence in the Jim Crow South.

Register in advance for this webinar (Spring Literary Forum 2021): https://famu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pxdYnI9AR-Co3vUO8ncccw   Meeting ID: 917 6461 6745 Passcode: 600784   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

NOVEL DISCUSSION GROUP: We also welcome guests to attend a discussion group on  Whitehead’s The Nickel Boys Tuesday, February 23, at 6:00 PM.  Please see the image below in the gallery for additional information about this activity.  Zoom address: https: //famu.zoom.us/j93544852679

PARTNERS:  Department of English and Modern Languages  (FAMU)| Literary Guild (FAMU) | College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (FAMU) | Office of the President (FAMU)| Quality Enhancement Program (FAMU) | Office of Communications (FAMU) | B Sharp’s Jazz Club | New Image Christian Center | John G. Riley Center and Museum | Bethel Missionary Baptist Church | St. Eugene Catholic Mission and Student Center | FAMU Foundation | Cotton Boll Collective