The Future of Black

Afrofuturism, Black Comics, and Superhero Poetry

Edited by Gary Jackson, Len Lawson and Cynthia Manick

Published by: Blair

Imprint: Blair

234 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 in, 15 Full color illustrations

$20.95

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Table of Contents

Borelson, Unleashed
Lucille Clifton, “if i should,” “further note to clark,” “final note to clark,” “note passed to superman”
Frank X. Walker, “new note to clark kent”
Turtel Onli, M10
teri elam, “Superman Retires”
Ashley M. Jones, “Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane No. 106”
Cynthia Manick, “Dear Superman”

Yorli Huff, Superhero Huff
Steven Leyva, “Ode to Static”
Derrick Weston Brown, “Bruuuuuh or When Brothers Debate Black Panther in a Safeway parking Lot.”
Tara Betts, “Storm Writes to Black Panther,” “Oya Invites Storm to Tea”
Sheree Reneé Thomas, “If There Is Darkness,”
Grisel Acosta, “I of the Hurricane”
Amanda Johnston, “Blade Speaks at Career Day”
Borelson, Channeling the Energy
Tim Seibles, “Blade, the Daywalker,” “Blade, Historical,” “Blade, Unplugged”
Cynthia Manick, “Praise for Luke Cage’s Skin and Starshine”
Gary Jackson, “Luke Cage Tells It Like It Is”

Wolly McNair, Raven
Sheree Reneé Thomas, “Eartha Kitt Reflects On Cat Woman”
Steven Leyva, “Ode to Lando Calrissian”
Len Lawson, The Amanda Waller Suite “Episode 1: Amanda Waller Enters the War Room,” “Episode 2: Amanda Waller Attracts a Bat,” “Episode 3: Amanda Waller Has a Woman-to-Woman with Harley Quinn,” “Episode 4: Amanda Waller Assembles a Suicide Squad”
John Jennings, Ajala
Rodney Wilder, “Invocation”
Cortney Lamar Charleston, “Elegy for Kilmonger With My Own Pain Entering Frame”
Frank X. Walker, “New Rules for Crime Fighting”

Karo Duro, city upon a hill
Joshua Bennett, “Frederick Douglass Is Dead”
Quentin VerCetty, the new Queen's Gates
Yona Harvey, "In Toni Morrison's Head"
Keith S. Wilson, “uncanny emmett till”
Yorli Huff, Agent Huff
Ashley M. Jones, “Soul Power / James Brown Time Loop”
Peter Schmidt, “Octavius V. Catto”
avery r. young, “((( in my marvin gaye voice ))) light year(s) / ahead friday (2020) – poem”
Moriah S. Webster, “Harlem [3]”
Joshua Bennett, “When Thy King Was a Boy”

Alex Kandolo, Galaxy Woman
Dexter Booth, “Jim Crow’s Dirge”
Glenis Redmond, “How to Become Your Own Supershero”
Joshua Bennett, “The Book of Mycah”
Najee Dorsey, B4-Rosa—Here I Stand
Teri Ellen Cross David, “Origin Story”
Cagen Luse, Generations
Tony Medina, “Five Chanclas of Death,” “The Original”
Terrance Hayes, “Shafro,” “American Sonnet for My Past and Future Assassin”
Douglas Kearney, “I Imagine I Been Science Fiction Always”
Saida Agostini, “speculative fiction: apocalypse”
Derrick Weston Brown, “Derrick Weston Brown Sonsplains AfroFuturist/Speculative Social Science to his Mother, a therapist who is also a longtime member of The National Association of Black Social Workers”

Jamal A. Michel, FATE: Fight for Idriss
Saida Agostini, “the moongazer speaks on longing”
Cagen Luse, Afronaut
Tyree Daye, “give them the moon—here”
Tracy K. Smith, “Sci-Fi,” “My God, It’s Full of Stars,” “The Universe: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”
A. Van Jordan, “Einstein Defining Special Relativity”
Gil Scott-Herron, “Whitey on the Moon”
Ashley Harris, “Fireworks”
Joshua Bennett, "In Defense of Passing"
John Jennings, Black Kirby
Steven Leyva, “The Silver Screen Asks, ‘What’s Up Danger?’ After We Enter”
John Jennings, Octavia Butler (73rd Birthday)
Tony Medina, “Banner day”
Keith S. Wilson, “Heliocentric”
Quincy Scott Jones, “Untitled”
upfromsumdirt, “SPACESHIP FOR SALE,” “Fair Gabbro Travels Time To View The End Of Days”
Rashida James-Saadiya, “One day the sky began to weep and did so for 300 days”
Anastacia Renee, “III.,” “apocalypse (400)”
Nikia Chaney, “Untitled,” “spinnerman spinnerman”
Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, “excerpt from FUGUE: THE SIGHT”
Yvonne McBride, “By the Blood Moon Bridge”
Dexter Booth, “The Coon Show”
Yona Harvey, "Q."
Tim Seibles, “Something Like We Did”