Menomonie, Wis. – Award-winning Ghanaian and Armenian American writer Nadia Owusu has always turned to reading and writing as ways of dealing with the world and events in her life.
“Writing rigorously forces us to complicate the often too easy stories that we unconsciously create for ourselves. I believe that each person has work to do to question the stories that have been told to us, especially those that cause harm. We can revise these stories to be more truthful and full of possibilities,” Owusu said.
Owusu, winner of the 2019 Whiting Award, confronts her stories in her acclaimed debut memoir, “Aftershocks,” which is part of the 2022 Chippewa Valley Book Festival.
“Aftershocks” was rated the best book of 2021 by Time, Vogue, Esquire, the Guardian, NPR, BBC and others. Former President Barack Obama named it one of his favorite books of the year and it was selected by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai for her Literati book club.
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The University of Wisconsin-Stout Literature Committee and the Book Festival are co-hosting Owusu’s virtual presentation, “Reclaiming Our Stories,” from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, October 20. Registration is mandatory.
In her presentation, Owusu will discuss how people are often nurtured with stories about themselves and how writing can help people reclaim their own by dealing with trauma, grief, isolation, dislocation and disconnection, and to redo their stories towards healing, self-love and a radically reinvented world. .
A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation, moderated by Lopamudra Basu, Co-Chair of the Literature Committee and Professor in the Department of English Studies, Philosophy and Communication.
Basu thinks “Aftershocks” will resonate with attendees, as Owusu’s memoir “addresses his biracial identity, his middle status in American and African culture, the childhood traumas of losing his parents, and his ultimate resilience,” she said.
“’Aftershocks’ was a timely choice for UW-Stout, given our focus on equity, diversity and inclusion. Nadia is truly a global citizen writer. Having lived in many countries and possessing a unique heritage, she brings a truly cosmopolitan sensibility to her writing and presentation,” Basu added.
“Reclaiming Our Stories” is made possible with technological assistance from LE Phillips Memorial Public Library. “Aftershocks” is available at Bookends on Main in downtown Menomonie and can be ordered by email at info@bookendsonmain.com or by phone at 715-233-6252. It is also available in electronic version at the university library.
Writing allows you to “move differently in the world”
Owusu started “Aftershocks” as a private project to help her make important changes in her life and better understand the stories that shaped her and consider her past, she said.
“I didn’t think of it as a book for a long time. I was working on a novel. But eventually I realized it was a story I had to tell,” Owusu said.
Margo Jefferson, author of “Negroland: A Memoir” and winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, said in a review that “Owusu’s task and burden are threefold: to chronicle the wounds and historical legacies of each country chart her own descent into grief, mania and madness begin the work of emotional reconstruction She does so with unerring honesty and in prose that is both rigorous and luminous.
Owusu was grateful for Jefferson’s words as she is an inspiration to her. “It wasn’t exactly about coping. It was more about facing my grief and trauma, which I had avoided doing for so long. If we are not honest about the past, we have little chance of shaping a better future. Doing the math work on the page allowed me to move around the world differently.
Owusu teaches creative writing at Columbia University in New York and in the Mountainview MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University. She loves organizing events at colleges and universities.
“I remember this period of my life as so rich in discoveries and passion. Writing during this time can help students understand what excites them, what moves them, and what they think. Creating processes of self-knowledge can be an important part of a healing journey,” she said.
Make and Take workshops for young people
The festival also offers two Make-and-Take workshops for children interested in writing and book-making, led by comic artist and UW-Stout School of Art and Design Assistant Professor Mary Climes and illustrator and artist Brianna Capra.
The workshops will take place on Saturday, October 22 in the Dabble Box room at LE Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire Street, Eau Claire.
• 9:30 am to 11:30 am: Book creation workshop for young writers. Children in grades 3-8 are invited to a unique and creative book-making workshop. Students will learn how to turn their writing into a physically bound book. Registration is mandatory.
• 1:30 to 3:30 pm: Children of all ages will create a simple “one-page wonder” book that can be filled with anything they can imagine. Instructions will be provided. Caregiver supervision and assistance is required. Advance registration is not required.
Inclusive excellence is part of UW-Stout’s FOCUS2030 goals. It aims to invest in and ensure access to equitable, diverse and inclusive learning, living and working environments for students that reflect regional and global connections.
