HU Welcomes Author Delores Phillips to Showcase Award-Winning Novel

Hampton, VA -Hampton University’s Department of English welcomes author Delores Phillips to the campus to discuss her fictional debut novel The Darkest Child as part of the university’s Annual Read-In activities on March 29 and 30.

Each year, the Department of English encourages HU students to continue reading for pleasure by selecting one book that discusses items relevant to issues students confront in their everyday lives for the Annual Read-In activities. The selected book is integrated into English classes and all HU students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the reading.

March 29
"Deconstructing The Darkest Child: Color, Complexity and Consequence": The Department of English will host a seminar from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in HU’s McGrew Towers. The mini-conference is free and open to the public and includes: "The Impact of the Willie Lynch Speech on the Issue of Color in the African-American Community" panel discussion at 9 a.m., Student Paper Presentations at 10 a.m., a noon luncheon, faculty paper presentations at 1 p.m. and "Interpretation of Black Images: The Significance of Color in Visual Media" panel discussion at 4 p.m.

March 30
The Annual Read-In Event: The Department of English welcomes Phillips at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. The event includes a reception, lecture, question and answer session and book signing and is free and open to the public.

Set in the 1950s, The Darkest Child draws the reader into the distraught life of thirteen-year-old Tangy Mae Quinn, one of 10 children from 10 different men, who must endure the racial oppression forced upon her from both the members of rural Pakersfield, Ga., and her own abusive, mentally unstable mother.

Eleanor Earl, assistant professor of English, and Dr. Evelyn Davis, associate professor of English, are the co-chairs for the Annual Read-In events.

"The Darkest Child was chosen because the main character is a person of no identity who comes into her own through literacy. Tangy Mae desires to educate herself," said Davis. "It appears to be the kind of book that is relevant to some of today’s problems in African-American society."

The novel received the First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) Literary Awards and Phillips was nominated for an African-American Literary Award as Female Author of the Year in 2004.

The author was born in rural Georgia and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio, employed as a nurse at a state psychiatric hospital. Phillips earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Cleveland State University. Her work has appeared in Jean’s Journal and Black Times.

For more information about any Read-In activities, contact the Department of English at (757) 727-5421.