1455’s Author Series continues featuring host Sean Murphy in discussion with Cynthia Manick, who will read from No Sweet Without Brine.
EVENT DETAILS
FEBRUARY 6 | 6:00 PM EST | Facebook Live
1455’s Founding Director Sean Murphy will speak with Cynthia about this book and the craft of poetry, followed by a Q&A.
ABOUT NO SWEET WITHOUT BRINE
Cynthia Manick’s sophomore poetry collection is an elegiac ode to Black womanhood in four parts, both soulful and celebratory. Life’s satisfying moments are captured in odes to Idris Elba’s dulcet tones on a mediation app, half-priced Entenmann’s poundcake, and observations of parental Black love. The sour taps into an analysis of the reality of history, silencing catcalls on the street, and detailed recipes, and advice to Black girls forced to endow themselves with armor against the world.
With piercing language, Manick captures the universality of life for a narrator who dares to exist between youthful remembrances and adults experiences. Each poem suggests a hint of sorrow, which make the celebration and recognition of Blackness in all ways that much sweeter. No Sweet Without Brine makes you agree to follow Manick’s mantra of “I want us living, not just alive.”
ABOUT Cynthia Manick
Cynthia Manick is the author of No Sweet Without Brine (Amistad, 2023) which received 5 stars from Roxane Gay, editor of The Future of Black: Afrofuturism, Black Comics, and Superhero Poetry, and author of Blue Hallelujahs. She has received fellowships from Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, MacDowell, and Château de la Napoule. A storyteller at literary festivals, libraries, universities, and most recently the Brooklyn, Frye, and Rubin museums, Manick’s work has been featured in the Academy of American Poets Poem-A-Day Series, Brook
Website: cynthiamanick.com
Twitter: @cmanick
Instagram: @brooklyncynthia
Facebook: facebook.com/cmanickpoet
ABOUT Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy is founder of the non-profit 1455 Lit Arts. He has appeared on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and been publishing reviews and essays for the last two decades. His third collection of poems, Kinds of Blue, and his first collection of short stories, This Kind of Man, are forthcoming in 2024. He has been nominated four times for the Pushcart Prize, twice for Best of Net, and his book Please Talk about Me When I’m Gone was the winner of Memoir Magazine’s 2022 Memoir Prize.
Website: seanmurphy.net | bullmurph.com
Twitter: @bullmurph
Instagram: @bullmurph
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorSeanMurphy
ABOUT 1455
At 1455, storytellers are sacred, and we’re dedicated to showcasing the written word and other forms of creative expression. Curating community through year-round free programming, 1455 connects art and audience via intimate conversations and the promotion of diverse voices. Taking our name from the year Gutenberg’s printing press helped democratize content on a global scale, 1455 continues the tradition of using technology to advance an understanding and appreciation of impactful storytelling. 1455 exists to serve anyone who appreciates the arts and is interested in the sort of community commonly found only in academia or online book clubs. Every day, 1455 will augment the passion for the literary and creative arts in adults and young people through programs that sponsor expression, education, and sharing of stories.
Website: 1455litarts.org
Twitter: @1455litarts
Instagram: @1455litarts
Facebook: facebook.com/1455litarts
ABOUT THE POTTER’S HOUSE
1455 is thrilled to partner with The Potter’s House bookshop.
The Potter’s House is a nonprofit café, bookstore, and event space in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. Since opening our doors in 1960 we have been a key place for deeper conversation, creative expression, and community transformation. After closing in 2013 for major renovations, The Potter’s House re-opened in spring 2015 with a renewed space and revitalized offerings. In our rapidly changing city – one in which development so often means displacement – The Potter’s House is a deeply rooted space where we can build relationships across our differences, envision just alternatives, and grow the movements that will make them possible.
Website: pottershousedc.org
Twitter: @pottershousedc
Instagram: @pottershousedc
Facebook: facebook.com/pottershousedc
Address: 1658 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009
