Much has been made of the fact that author Mitchell S. Jackson, a black man, grew up in what has to be one of the whitest cities in this country—Portland, Oregon. And Jackson himself has admitted that it’s not the most likely place for the story he told in his debut novel “The Residue Years”, which recounts the story of a mom struggling with addiction and her son, who tries to grapple with the limited options his mother’s choices have left him. In a city that’s celebrated for its super-hip upward mobility and breathtaking landscapes, the image imparted in Jackson’s book is an incongruous one. Jackson himself knows a thing or two about incongruity: the award winning writer and college professor is also an ex-con whose novel is largely based on his own life. Jackson will discuss these incongruities as part of a larger context related to cultural history and personal responsibility during a presentation sponsored by WordSpace on Friday, February 6 at 7:30. The event serves to kick off Black History Month at the South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 South Fitzhugh, and is open to the public for a suggested $10 donation. Visit wordspacedallas.com for further information..
Fri., Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m., 2015