Helping Each Other Feel Possible: Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs on Audre Lorde and Melvin Dixon
Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs joined us to discuss her connection to Audre Lorde. Dr. Gumbs is currently writing a biography of Lorde called "The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde." During this conversation Dr. Gumbs discusses Lorde's connection to Joseph Beam and Essex Hemphill. She also discusses Melvin Dixon's 1992 keynote at the OutWrite Conference "I'll Be Somewhere Listening For My Name."
Constructing Our Present For Our Future Selves As Black Gay Men
A few days ago, I emailed some trusted colleagues concerning a documentary project idea. It’s part of how I process. I’m really lucky to have a fairly extensive network of individuals in various sectors that I can reach out to from time to time. Most of my ideas never make it to the manifestation stage because of this incredible vetting process.
I find it useful, even necessary, to think through projects and get feedback before I launch them. If there are red flags or warning signs, potential kinks, or concerns, it’s always good to get solid advice from trusted people. I hope that they will tell me the truth, and they always do. It’s also good in the early stages to register any critical feedback and develop responses, which helps me determine my level of excitement for a project.
