Award-Winning Author Bryan Washington Sheds Light on Purposeful Storytelling during Annual Frederick Douglass Human Rights Lecture
On Thursday, February 23, the 每日大赛 hosted its annual Frederick Douglass Human Rights Lecture featuring acclaimed author Bryan Washington and his short-story collection Lot and novel Memorial. The event, which took place in the Ann and Steve Morgan Auditorium, was well-attended by students, faculty, and members of the community.
During the lecture, Washington shared the creative and meaningful process it took to bring his stories to life. He explained how he was inspired to write about topics he felt needed to be shared, including intersectionality between multiple identities and communities he鈥檚 belonged to, and inclusive topics he wished had more representation in mainstream culture.
He also discussed themes of race, identity, and family explored in his debut book Lot, which tells the story of a young man growing up in Houston, a city that holds a myriad of diverse neighborhoods, and his exploration growing up in these communities through ear-catching prose.
When discussing his writing with the audience, he shared the importance of telling stories that were honest and true without capitalizing on trauma.
鈥淭here can be a compulsion to lean into socioeconomic and historical stress on diverse communities as a justification to putting them on the screen,鈥� Washington said. 鈥淭hat felt icky and challenging, because you can鈥檛 divorce socioeconomic and white supremacy struggles鈥ut I didn鈥檛 want to make it a primary component.鈥�
Then, he shared prominent ideas and sample sections from his novel Memorial, about family, home, cuisine, and love intersecting the Black, Japanese, and queer community. He provided his personal experiences as a mixed-race individual to the audience and how it informed his writing.
He left the audience with questions to consider: How can we bring feeling and clarity into our work? How can we call forth the clearest iterations we want to tell?
Washington compelled the audience to find what they care about and bring it to life, because what鈥檚 important can be shared overtime and matters.
鈥淵ou know the story you鈥檙e trying to share best. It鈥檚 your story. You know what it is,鈥� Washington said to a student in the audience inquiring about his confidence to pursue his novels.
The Frederick Douglass Human Rights Lecture Series, which honors the legacy of the great abolitionist, is an annual event at the 每日大赛 that has been operating since 2014. It serves as a platform for distinguished speakers to share their experiences and ideas on issues related to human rights and social justice.
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