“Abri” means shelter or refuge.

Given the challenges that we face in the world as humans who seem unable to get along with each other, we often turn to art and culture to express and remind us of our shared humanity. For me writing is “abri,” a French word that means shelter and refuge. Writing about culture connects me to my innermost self and the creative aspirations and productions of others. 

Whether I am crafting a poem based on historical characters, providing voice to unsung heroines, or delving into an environment often deemed off limits to authors because of race, gender, class, or sexual orientations, I hope that you will find shelter, refuge, and empowerment in my writings. Most of all, I hope that you find pleasure. Please peruse my website and delight yourself in my writings.

I am a retired professor of American literature and Afro American studies. I earned a Ph.D. in American literature from the George Washington University. I have been on the faculty at the University of Michigan and Howard University.