A day of dynamic and informative discussions related to race and identity with award-winning author Mat Johnson is set for March 27 at Lone Star College-CyFair.
This spring’s Open Dialogue 2018, titled “Identity: It’s Not Black and White,” offers LSC-CyFair students, employees, as well as area community members, an opportunity to not only meet with the award-winning author, but discuss his views and his work, said Dr. Roberta Short, committee chair.
Open Dialogue is an annual spring speaker and panel event that engages in an issue of significance through the study of an author’s work and interaction with the author in both college and community settings, she said. Students determine the focus of the annual event and participate in discussions that are intellectually challenging and controversial.
“For this year’s event, students expressed an interest in race and identity as major issues of concern,” Dr. Short explained. “We are fortunate to be able to bring noted writer Mat Johnson here to Lone Star College-CyFair to discuss these issues and read from his work.”
Born and raised in Philadelphia’s Germantown and Mount Airy sections of the city, Johnson is now a professor in the University of Houston Creative Writing Program and a talented writer in both prose and graphic novel forms. The Open Dialogue event will focus on his novels Pym and Loving Day, and graphic novel Incognegro, which is illustrated by Walter Pleece.
All three works will be discussed during the faculty and student forums and available for sale at the evening community event.
The day begins at 10 a.m. with Johnson at interdisciplinary panel discussions with faculty and students on the construction of race and identity as well as identity perception and reality.
All are welcome to join a book sale and signing following Johnson’s 7 p.m. reading of his works and participation in a Q&A in the Main Stage Theatre, located in the Center for the Arts at 9191 Barker Cypress.
For event information, email Roberta.H.Short@LoneStar.edu or go to LoneStar.edu/cyfair.