Thursday, May 12, 8:00 PM
Joint Book Launch:
Aracelis Girmay presents The Black Maria
Patrick Rosal presents Brooklyn Antediluvian
Hosted by Angel Nafis
Wine reception to follow

Please note: this event begins at 8:00 instead of our usual 7:30. Greenlight celebrates the launch of two exciting new collections from young Brooklyn poets! The recipient of a 2015 Whiting Award for Poetry, Aracelis Girmay elegizes and celebrates life in her new collection The Black Maria, while wrestling with the notion of seeing beyond: seeing violence, seeing grace, and seeing each other better. Taking its name from the moon’s dark plains, misidentified as seas by early astronomers, The Black Maria investigates African diasporic histories, the consequences of racism within American culture, and the question of human identity. Ignited by the frictions of our American moment, Patrick Rosal brilliant fourth collection Brooklyn Antidiluvian examines race in America and explores the possibilities and limitations of untapped multi-racial histories. Channeling DJ culture, family history, soul music, dance, and Galeanoesque myth-making, Brooklyn Antediluvian appeals to poetry devotees and novices alike, as well as the serious critic of Asian American culture and contemporary literature. Joins us for an evening of powerful poetry followed by a celebratory wine reception.