"A Litany for Survival" is the brainchild of Professor Donna Aza Weir-Soley who teaches a graduate course on two American literary giants, Audre Lorde and Toni Morrison, in the Department of English. "A Litany for Survival" is the title of one of Lorde's classic poems. The event-- in its fifth year in 2026-- honors the works of these iconic American writers who share a birthday on February 18th. Participants pay tribute to these writers by reading from their works and speaking about the ways they have been shaped and/or guided intellectually, spiritually, morally and otherwise by the ideas and poetics of humanism extant in the literary and theoretical frameworks and thought productions in Lorde and Morrison’s oeuvres. We invite you to bring your favorite Lorde or Morrison text; readings are 2-3 minutes per person. Birthday cake and other refreshments will be served.
Yearly participants include faculty members in English, Women and Gender Studies, African and African Diaspora Studies, Global and Sociocultural Studies, Psychology, the FIU libraries, and other fields. This event is open to all. "A Litany for Survival" is generously sponsored by the FIU Libraries, the Department of English, and (in 2026) the Frost Art Museum.
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