♪ ♪ >> Cathy: THIS WEEKEND THE INAUGURAL MIDWEST BLACK BOOK FAIR DEBUTS JUST ACROSS THE RIVER IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS.

HOSTED AT THE U OF M'S URBAN RESEARCH AND OUTREACH-ENGAGEMENT CENTER, THE FREE EVENT CELEBRATES BLACK AUTHORS, READERS AND PUBLISHERS, AND WILL FEATURE VENDORS, BOOK SIGNINGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR ATTENDEES.

LOCAL ACADEMIC AND ENTREPRENEUR TERRESA HARDAWAY SPEARHEADED THE CREATION OF THE FAIR SHE'S TAKING JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TALK WITH US, IT'S BEEN REALLY BUSY FOR YOU.

>> YEAH, JUST A LITTLE BIT.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> Cathy: WE WERE TALKING OFF AIR HERE ABOUT OTHER CITIES HAVE SIMILAR FESTIVALS AND THAT IS TRUES FIRST ONE FOR MINNEAPOLIS >> YEAH, I THINK I GOT MY INSPIRATION FROM A LOT OF THE FOLKS I MEET WITH.

WE HAVE A BLACK BOOK STORE NATIONAL COALITION AND WE MEET MONTHLY.

FOLKS WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY HAVE ALL THESE CELEBRATIONS AND I WAS LIKE WHY DON'T WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE?

AND I HAPPENED TO BE IN AN EVENT WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD BOOK STORES AND PUBLISHING COMPANIES AND HAD A CONVERSATION AND I THINK WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING, AND THEY WERE DOWN.

>> Eric: NOW, YOU STARTED THIS FROM SCRATCH, IN READING ABOUT YOU THIS WEEK YOU CALL YOURSELF A CONNECTOR, AND I BET THAT REALLY CAME IN HANDY.

>> YEAH, DEFINITELY, I HAD PEOPLE I ALREADY KNEW TO CALL AND LIKE HELP ME ORGANIZE THIS THING AND THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE DOWN.

AND A TON OF OTHER FOLKS I MET FROM THAT INITIAL JUST CHATTING ABOUT IT, THEY REACHED OUT AND TOLD ME WHO DOTO CONNECT WITH AND I CONNECTED WITH THEM AND NOW WE'RE HERE.

>> Cathy: CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF THE CHALLENGES IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY THAT BLACK WRITERS ARE ACED WITH THAT NECESSITATES A FESTIVAL LIKE THIS?

>> YEAH, I'M A WRITER MYSELF, I HAVE A COUPLE OF PUBLISHED BOOKS AND I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE SEE ARE PEOPLE TAKING LIKE THE STORIES THAT WE HAVE SERIOUSLY AS AN ACADEMIC, I THINK THAT LIKE RESEARCH AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE REALLY SPEAK A LOT TO LIKE SORT OF THE NARRATIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE TELLING, AND OFTENTIMES I THINK THAT PUBLISHERS DON'T NECESSARILY TAKE THOSE THINGS SERIOUSLY.

SO I WOULD, I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR SOME OF THE WORKSHOPS WE HAVE ECAUSE SOME OF THE BLACK AUTHORS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THERE WHO HAVE BEEN WRITING AND SELF-PUBLISHED MIGHT BE ABLE TO LIKE GET IN WITH SOME OF THEE FOLKS.

SO WE AVE A LOT OF REALLY GREAT RESOURCES FOR FOLKS AT THE FAIR TOMORROW.

>> Eric: ONE F THE QUOTES I WROTE DOWN, IT TAKES A LOOK AT THE BOOK INDUSTRY FROM THE BLACK LITERARY PERSPECTIVE.

WHAT IS IS THAT PERSPECTIVE?

>> YEAH, THAT PERSPECTIVE, I CAN'T REALLY DEFINE IT, IT'S REALLY HUGE, THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE AND COMPLEXITY AROUND IT.

I THINK FOLKS PROBABLY SILO BLACK NARRATIVES INTO LIKE ONE BUCKET AND I THINK THAT BLACK FOLKS HAVE A RANGE OF STORIES TO TELL AND I THINK THAT I'M REALLY ENCOURAGING FOLKS TO ENGAGE WITH ALL OF THOSE STORIES AT THE FAIR TOMORROW.

>> Cathy: THERE IS THIS BELIEF, THOUGH, AND BET YOU'VE RUN INTO THIS THAT MAINSTREAM READERS AREN'T INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT THE BLACK EXPERIENCE.

BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE.

>> YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT'S TRUE.

I THINK THERE'S A TON OF OTHER STORIES THAT PEOPLE ARE CONNECTING WITH.

I DO THINK THAT, AGAIN, I THINK IT'S LIKE STEREOTYPE AND EXCLUSIVITY THAT KIND OF GETS FOLKS INTO THINKING THAT BLACK STORIES ARE ONLY A CERTAIN WAY, BUT BLACK STORIES INCLUDE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

I WAS TALKING ABOUT FUTURE-ITY THIS WEEK AND HOW BLACK STORIES HAVE A LOT OF CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE AUTHORS WHO ARE GOING TO BE AT THE FAIR.

, WHAT KIND OF REACTIONS HAVE YOU HAD?

COUPLE THOUSAND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SHOW UP.

WHAT'S BEEN THE REACTION?

>> YEAH, FOLKS ARE VERY EXCITED.

I THINK A LOT OF BLACK FOLKS SPECIFICALLY ARE JUST SAYING WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE LIKE OUR STORIES BEING TOLD AND BEING REFLECTED BACK TO THEM.

I THINK THAT OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN OUR CITY, AND SO LIKE PEOPLE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO JUST SEE OTHER AUTHORS, SEE THESE VENDORS, ATTEND THE WORKSHOPS, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BUT THEN ALSO CONNECTING AND COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES.

>> Cathy: GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT ARE THE WORKSHOPS THAT YOU MOST ARE EXCITED ABOUT?

>> OH, MY GOODNESS!

THERE'S ONLY SIX THIS FIRST TIME BUT I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THE PUBLISHING PANEL, I'M EXCITED FOR THE HISTORY OF MINNESOTA PANEL, I'M EXCITED FOR THERE'S A POETRY WORKSHOP HAPPENING, WORKSHOP BY MORE THAN A SINGLE STORY HAPPENING.

THERE'S A TON OF FOLKS WHO ARE AUTHORS THEMSELVES OR ARE GOING TO BE TEACH FOLKS WRITING AND OTHER EXPERIMENTAL PRACTICE.

>> Eric: WHERE AND WHEN DO FOLKS JOIN?

>> IT IS NOT SOLD OUT, I KEEP OPENING UP MORE TICKETS BUT IT IS 12 TO 5:00, TOMORROW 2001 PLYMOUTH AVENUE IN NORTH MINNEA