UB and Pratt Library Host Bert Ashe, Author of Twisted: My Dreadlock Chronicles, Feb. 9
February 1, 2016
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
Bert Ashe, author of the memoir Twisted: My Dreadlock Chronicles, will visit the University of Baltimore campus on Tuesday, Feb. 9 as Pratt Library & UB Live!, a collaboration between the University of Baltimore and the Enoch Pratt Free Library, continues. The event will start at 7 p.m. in UB's Wright Theater, located in the University's Student Center, 21 W. Mt. Royal Ave. It is free and open to the public.
Twisted: My Dreadlock Chronicles offers an in-depth examination of black hair and personal style, and the continuing evolution of both.
"Ashe describes in vivid, and often comedic, detail his unkempt first steps to locking, complete with stares, disgust and drilling questions from strangers and loved ones," said Essence. "Along with these bumbling moments, he weaves in history about the hairstyle, descriptions of those who wore it and the uncertainties that led to his 15-year journey toward 'getting twisted.'"
"Dreads work splendidly as a metaphor; for one thing, since to grow them you have to leave your hair largely alone, to resist the urge to manipulate what much of the world still deems unsightly in its natural state.," said the Los Angeles Times. "Growing locks, especially for 'mainstream' black people such as the author, is therefore an act of resistance and also of affirmation. It is what Ralph Ellison — quoted here by Ashe — would likely call a 'freewheeling assault upon the traditional forms of the American aesthetic.'"
Ashe is an associate professor of English at the University of Richmond, where he focuses on contemporary American culture, specifically the black literature and culture of the post-civil rights movement. He is also the author of From Within the Frame: Storytelling in African-American Fiction.
UB and the Pratt Library launched the new author speaker series last November while the Pratt's Central Library undergoes a nearly four-year renovation and restoration project. During this period of improvements, the two institutions will partner to host award-winning and best-selling authors.
Upcoming events in the series include:
- Mei Fong, author of One Child: The Past and Future of China's Most Radical Experiment
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m.
William H. Thumel Sr. Business Center's M. Scot Kaufman Auditorium, 11 W. Mt. Royal Ave. - Marlene Trestman, author of Fair Labor Lawyer: The Remarkable Life of New Deal Attorney and Supreme Court Advocate, Bessie Margolin
Wednesday, March 30, 7 p.m.
University of Baltimore School of Law, 12th Floor, 1401 N. Charles St.
Learn more about the Pratt Library & UB Live! Series.
Learn more about the Pratt Library.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.