In Short: Black Femme Transformation in ‘Pemi Aguda’s “Manifest” with Magenta Naaku

Can physical and spiritual transformation be essential to Black femme survival, liberation, and pleasure? When does embodiment become an opportunity to shapeshift or possess others? How can rearranging our bodies to better fit our spirits lead to a mortal/supernatural collision? Who are we on the other side of possession? How do we arrange our bodies after evaporating?
Black Femme Transformation is a reading group inspired by our kin who embrace the fluidity of flesh and refuse to cage their souls. We’ll read short stories about femmes who trade in their humanity in their pursuit of pleasure and freedom, and conjure the liminality of their imaginations into full-fledged realities–for better or worse.
In Eloghosa Osunde’s “Grief Is the Gift That Breaks the Spirit Open,” a Black femme discovers she has the ability to shapeshift by snatching abandoned bodies. As she navigates this new ability, she explores the depths of her sexual pleasure. This vivacious queer story expands on the complexities of desire and relationships, and the parts of ourselves we choose to keep hidden versus what we share with our lovers. We’ll discuss what makes a shapeshifter so, whether immortality is worth it, how secrets sew us together, and how love and horror melt seamlessly into the narrative.
Reading List:

“Grief Is the Gift That Breaks the Spirit Open” by Eloghosa Osunde (A copy of the story will be emailed upon registration.)

What to expect from this reading group: Participants can expect a discussion-based experience with opportunities to read their favorite lines/passages aloud, share their ideas and interpretations of the text, and even speculate on the before and after of the characters’ lives beyond the page. I will offer guided questions to maintain the flow of our conversations, but everyone is welcome to pose new questions to the group. Finally, as I am a writer and teaching artist, I would love to offer participants a writing prompt or two to take away each week. They can choose to journal in response to the prompt, use it to further their own creative practices, or as a question to contemplate until we meet again.
What to read in advance: Please read “Grief Is the Gift That Breaks the Spirit Open” in its entirety in advance of the first meeting. A copy of the story will be emailed upon registration.
We offer a limited number of need-based scholarships for our Reading Groups and Writing Workshops, covering 50% of tuition. Applicants selected for scholarships will be notified one week prior to the first meeting. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out this form.