You’re invited to celebrate the publication of my poem cycle Miss Experience White, illustrated by John Seabury, at the Clarion Arts Center in San Francisco on May 10th from 3 to 5pm. John and I will sign books, and the event will feature brief readings by notable local poets. Illustrations from the book will be on display.
Miss Experience White is a lavishly illustrated, surrealistic political poem cycle about destroying the demon of white supremacy and understanding white privilege. The podcast version won several awards in 2022, including a Signal Gold Award for Best Fiction and a w3 Silver Award for Cause Awareness. The book version, with 20 full color illustrations in different styles by Grammy nominated illustrator John Seabury, is designed to look like a children’s book but made for adults. (132 pages, hardcover only, $29.95)
© John Seabury
Reading briefly will be Kim Shuck, seventh poet laureate emerita of San Francisco, Deborah C. Segal, 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, and Kimi Sugioka, poet laureate of Alameda, followed by yours truly reading from Miss Experience White. Host Richard Loranger will lead a Q & A session, and then we’ll sign books, chat and enjoy some light refreshments. Most forms of payment (cash, check, Venmo, Paypal) will be accepted, but not credit or debit cards.
Seven years ago I began writing Miss Experience White because I saw what Donald Trump was bringing out in many White people and the harm it was causing to so many others. As I wrote, I discovered an important connection between the present and the past: I found a way to heal my own conflicted feelings about my colonial ancestry.
© John Seabury
But I didn’t write Miss Experience White for only Whites with deep roots in this country. I wrote it for everyone seeking to understand why we remain so deeply divided. Now, more than ever, all of us who are opposed to the fascist agenda of the Trump administration must rise up and work together for a better future.
© John Seabury
If you can’t come to the launch, you can always order the book online from IngramSpark, or Amazon.
But I do hope to see you at the launch. And please consider taking advantage of the Clarion’s location—there’s lots of great food close by in Chinatown, and North Beach is only a few blocks away.
“In this brave incantation, Milo Starr Johnson ... has taken the sweep of history and paused the river for us to view, to digest, and heed our historical task.”
Milo