REDEFINING CLASSICS

Carolivia Herron is an African American Jewish author and educator living in Washington, DC. She is a Lecturer and Creative Writer in the English Department at Howard University, and an emeritus Distinguished Visiting Scholar of Project Humanities at Arizona State University. At Howard University
she teaches the courses Humanities and Blacks in Antiquity. Carolivia’s field of specialization is epic poetry of Africa, Europe and the Americas. She received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory from the University of Pennsylvania, and has held professorial appointments at Harvard
University, Mount Holyoke College, California State University, Chico, and the College of William and Mary. Dr. Herron’s first novel, Thereafter Johnnie (Random House 1991) is being reissued as a classic by McNally Editions and two children’s books, Kindergarten Blues and Grilled Cheese are in press with
Picnic Heist Publications. Her earlier publications include Peacesong DC, Nappy Hair, The Selected Works of Angelina Weld Grimké, Always An Olivia, Little Georgia and the Apples, Asenath and the Origin of Nappy Hair. Carolivia has also written librettos for the operas and musical works: Let Freedom Sing: The Story of Marian Anderson (music composed Bruce Adolphe); The Journey of Phillis Wheatley (composer Nkeiru Okoye), We are Free in choral composition, Reach out, Raise Hope, Change Society (composer Bruce Adolphe, and An Ocean Can Dry Into Silence (composer Ellen
Harrison). In addition to her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Herron also holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, an MA in English Literature from Villanova U and a BA from Eastern University. She is an active member of her synagogue, Tifereth Israel and is the
synagogue’s liaison for Social Action programs in Africa. She is the president of North Washington Neighbors Inc., an organization that works for racial equality in housing and education. Carolivia is also the radio host of the show, “Epic City,” on WOWD-LP Takoma Radio, 94.3 FM. Dr. Herron is completing a play,Pharsalia: or, For Crying Out Loud, that is commissioned by TheaterJ of
Washington, DC. The play dramatizes the stories of Herron’s enslaved African American, Wampanoag, and Jewish ancestors at the Pharsalia Plantation in 1852 Virginia.