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Comic book artist Joel Christian Gill on Strange Fruit and forgotten black narratives

On the Why We Write podcast: Artist Joel Christian Gill tells the stories of extraordinary black people from American history

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Episode notes

When Joel Christian Gill realized painting wasn't working for him, he returned to comic books and began writing and illustrating books that tell the largely unknown stories of extraordinary black people in history.

Book covers of Strange Fruit

 

Gill is the chairman, CEO, president, director of development, majority and minority stockholder, manager, co-manager, regional manager, assistant to the regional manager, receptionist, senior black correspondent and janitor of Strange Fruit Comics. The New York Times says, "At a moment when racial inequities have ignited this nation, Mr. Gill offers direction for the road ahead from the road behind.”

He is the author of Fast Enough: Bessie Stringfield’s First Ride from Lions Forge 2019 and the award winning graphic novel series Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History, and Tales of The Talented Tenth from Fulcrum Publishing.

In this interview, he speaks with former Boston Poet Laureate Danielle Legros Georges during a visit to campus this spring.

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