Interview with James Spooner (Afro-Punk, The High Desert)
Summary
In this episode of The Truth In This Art, Rob interviewed James Spooner, James Spooner is a graphic novelist, tattoo artist, illustrator, and filmmaker, who directed the seminal documentary AFRO-PUNK which premiered at national and international film festivals, including Toronto International and The American Black Film Festival, and they discuss his latest work, The High Desert: Black. Punk. Nowhere. , Afropunk and much more.James Spooner is a graphic novelist, tattoo artist, illustrator, and filmmaker, who directed the seminal documentary AFRO-PUNK which premiered at national and international film festivals, including Toronto International and The American Black Film Festival. James also co-founded the Afropunk Festival, which currently boasts audiences in the hundreds of thousands around the world. His debut graphic novel, The High Desert is available now.
Spooner’s work has been recounted in various publications, including NPR, Vice Magazine, The Village Voice, The New Yorker, Vibe, Fader Magazine, MTV, NBC News and Variety, and he was a recipient of the ReNew Media Rockefeller Grant. He is an ongoing guest curator for the Broad Museum in Los Angeles and previously programmed for the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Spooner is also a contributor to RazorCake Magazine, and he continues to screen AFRO-PUNK at colleges around the country, giving talks on punk and Black identity. He is currently co-editing an anthology from Soft Skull Press entitled, Black Punk Now.
The Truth In This Art
The Truth In This Art
The Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture.
Mentioned in this episode:
James Spooner (photo credit Lisa Nola)
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