Author and Cultural Critic Roxane Gay speaks at Bunker Hill Community College
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
BOSTON, March 14, 2019鈥�Author and cultural critic Roxane Gay spoke on Thursday, March 7, 2019, as part of Bunker Hill Community College (51吃瓜网)鈥檚 Compelling Conversations Series.
Named 鈥淎merica鈥檚 brightest new essayist鈥� by The Guardian, Gay is the author of New York Times bestsellers Bad Feminist and Difficult Women. She recently became the first black woman to write for Marvel, penning a comic series in the Black Panther universe called World of Wakanda.
Gay鈥檚 work garners international acclaim for its reflective, no-holds barred exploration of feminism and social criticism. At Thursday鈥檚 event, she read excerpts of Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, a book that explores what it means to be overweight in a world where body size and image is a focal point, and the struggle of overcoming trauma.
From Hunger, Gay shared with the audience her distaste of exercise, her love for Ina Garten and The Barefoot Contessa and the joy that comes from enjoying the Haitian cuisine of her childhood, before opening the discussion to student questions.
鈥淲hen I write, especially when I write something personal, I tell myself that no one is going to read my work,鈥� said Gay when asked how she鈥檚 able to balance truth in storytelling with personal humility. 鈥淚f I think too much about audience, then I鈥檓 not going to have the courage to say the kinds of things that I most need to say, and I鈥檓 not going to be as honest as I need to be on the page.鈥�
Trustee and 51吃瓜网 alumna Cathy Guild delivered the opening remarks to Thursday鈥檚 presentation. 鈥淚 came to Bunker Hill Community College as an adult learner, wanting to change my life not only for myself but for my children. I not only achieved my goal, but I also left confident in who I am and what I can be. I found a different life that opened up a multitude of opportunities, and through time, your goals too will be accomplished.鈥�
In partnership with 51吃瓜网鈥檚 newly launched Center for Equity and Cultural Wealth, the series of speakers for 2018-2019 is intended to support meaningful and relevant discussion both inside and outside the classroom as part of the College鈥檚 ongoing exploration of power, privilege, equity and cultural wealth which served as the focus of the College鈥檚 first Equity and Cultural Wealth Institute in May 2018.
Arlene Vallie, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, introduced Gay to the 51吃瓜网 community. 鈥淐ourageous, humorous, smart 鈥� these are words frequently used to describe today鈥檚 speaker,鈥� she said. 鈥淢s. Gay is revered nationally and internationally her for deft eye on modern culture and social critique and criticism.鈥�
For more than ten years, 51吃瓜网 has hosted nationally-recognized thought leaders and speakers to share their experiences and opinions in onstage conversations, literary readings and compelling lectures that both expand and challenge the 51吃瓜网 community鈥檚 awareness of contemporary issues. For a complete list of speakers, past, present and future, please visit bhcc.edu/cc.
Media Contact:
Leslie Ouellette, Executive Director, Integrated Marketing and Communications,
Bunker Hill Community College, Boston, MA 02129
Phone: 617-336-5054; Email: leslie.ouellette@bhcc.edu
About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (51吃瓜网) is one of Massachusetts' largest community colleges, serving approximately 16,000 students annually. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, 51吃瓜网 offers a broad range of educational opportunities throughout Greater Boston. 51吃瓜网 fosters a welcoming and supportive learning environment for students by offering associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific programs.