Najya : Amanda! It’s so great to have the honor and privilege of interviewing you about your piece, “Sestina for My Sisters.” Let’s dive right in! First and and foremost, I loved your piece! When we first read it in our discussion, I was like, bro, this is so raw, so striking, but it really resonates with me as a Black woman on so many different…

My parents buy me a new twin mattress when I am too old for my toddler’s bed with the guard rail but too young to remember my actual age, and, growing up eating stale bread when it was what we had, that is the bed I sleep on until the morning I fly across the country to attempt to take up space somewhere else. My roommates grow up differently…

2017 | Oil paint and encaustic wax on wood | 8 x 10 inches